Police investigate two suspicious Nunavik deaths, one assault

(Updated Feb. 14)

Nunavik’s Ungava coast is reeling from a violent week, after two women died and another was hospitalized with serious injuries.

Sûreté du Québec investigators are looking into a suspected homicide in Kangirsuk, where a woman was found unconscious in a residence on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at around 8:30 p.m.

Kativik Regional Police Force officers initially found the 35-year-old woman, who was later declared dead.

Police are treating the case as a homicide, but said that no one has been arrested in connection with the woman’s death at this point.

A few days earlier, on Feb. 9, SQ investigators were called in to look into another death; this time a 27-year-old woman was found in a home in Kangiqsualujjuaq last Saturday afternoon.

That death is considered suspicious, the SQ said, and no related arrests have been made.

In a third incident in Kangiqsujuaq, a man has been arrested in connection with the alleged assault of a woman.

A 49-year-old woman was found unconscious and beaten the evening of Feb. 10 by people passing her home. She was later flown to a Montreal hospital, where she remains in a serious condition.

Sources in the community say the suspect is the woman’s son, who also assaulted another young woman the same weekend.

Pete Sakiagak, 27, has been charged with aggravated assault, three counts of assault, forcible confinement and making death threats. He remains in custody and will appear in court Feb. 15.