CALGARY -- Cops had once visited a duplex in a Calgary neighbourhood to break up a domestic argument prior to a woman being killed at the same address over the weekend.
Late Monday afternoon police charged 43-year-old Shengjun An with first-degree murder in the death of his wife Yanrong Cheng, 41.
Spokesman Kevin Brookwell said cops had been called out to the 79 Edgehill Dr. N.W. home in 2009 to break up a verbal dispute.
And the killing, which occurred on Sunday while a three-year-old and 15-year-old girl were in the house, prompted Calgary Police Chief Rick Hanson to call on the community to shine the light on domestic violence before it becomes dangerous.
“What we can’t do is get involved with situations that we’re just not aware of and we have to push that it’s not just a police responsibility -- one of hardest things for someone in abusive situation is to come forward and ask for help,” he said.
“Domestic violence is a community concern that effects everybody and it’s so important for people to realize if they know someone in an abusive situation to come forward.”
The only signs something had happened on the quiet street Monday were metres of yellow police tape draped over snow-shrouded bushes outside the yellow duplex, nearby houses and the front street.
Neighbours were shocked at the revelation that someone was murdered only a few doors down but said they had seen no signs of potential problems in the past.
Stan Wyciek, 58, has lived in the neighbouring duplex for 20 years and said he has seen many residents come and go from the rental property, including an Asian family that had moved in several months ago.
He said the family were only “nodding acquaintances” and he never heard any arguments from the house.
“There wasn’t any foreshadowing about a circumstance like this,” he said.
“I’m sorry for them to have been in such a terrible situation, especially with children involved.”
Tennie Running Rabbit lives a few doors down from the duplex and didn’t know the neighbours but said he is shocked to see violence come to his street.
“It’s shocking and it does worry me -- it’s pretty close to home,” he said.
