Skip to content

Man charged in connection with North Vancouver toddler's death from snake venom

A 51-year-old man from Agassiz has been arrested in connection with the death of a two-year-old child from North Vancouver, who police allege died as a result of poisoning from a snake bite.
sb

A 51-year-old man from Agassiz has been arrested in connection with the death of a two-year-old child from North Vancouver, who police allege died as a result of poisoning from a snake bite.

Henry James Thomas of Seabird Island, Agassiz, was arrested Friday at his home and has been charged with “failing to provide the necessaries of life” under the criminal code.

The death of the North Vancouver toddler that led to the charge happened more than four and a half years ago.

Court documents indicate the girl who died was Aleka Gonzales.

Thomas faces a charge of failing “as a parent, foster parent, guardian or head of a family” to provide Gonzales with the “necessaries of life” endangering her life or causing her health to be endangered permanently on May 19, 2014.

North Vancouver RCMP said in a press statement that Thomas had the two-year-old girl in his care on May 18, 2014 and returned the child to her mother’s home in North Vancouver in the early morning hours of May 19.

Soon after, at 5 a.m. that day, the mother phoned the police to tell them her daughter had died.

According to RCMP, a lengthy and in-depth police investigation followed, involving assistance from the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

In July 2015, police raided Thomas’s Agassiz home under a search warrant, where “snakes and related equipment were seized.”

Police said further biological DNA testing was conducted in 2016 and 2017 confirming that the girl had died of poisoning by snake venom.

“This is a very tragic incident that resulted in a complex, unique investigation by police and support agencies,” said Supt. Chris Kennedy, Officer in Charge of the North Vancouver RCMP, in a press statement.

Police have not released any further information about the investigation.

Spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP, Cpl. Richard De Jong, said he couldn’t comment on why charges were being laid so long after the child’s death, except that the investigation was very specialized.

Thomas remains in custody by consent following a brief appearance in North Vancouver provincial court Monday afternoon.

He is next scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing Jan. 28.

An obituary placed for Aleka Gonzales at the time of her death referred to her “silliness and joy in having fun with all,” her favourite colour, purple, and her favourite flower, a dandelion.