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UPDATED: North Vancouver teen charged with manslaughter

Victim of Lower Lonsdale apartment assault was mother of the accused
RCMP

A 19-year-old North Vancouver man has been charged with manslaughter in the death of his 58-year-old mother after she died following an altercation in her apartment Monday night.

North Vancouver RCMP were called to 102 - 312 East First St. in North Vancouver just after 6 p.m. Jan. 25 after a local resident called 9-1-1 to report hearing a dispute and possible assault taking place in a nearby apartment.

Police arrived and forced their way into the apartment after hearing sounds of a struggle, said Integrated Homicide Investigation Team spokeswoman Sgt. Stephanie Ashton.

When they got inside, officers saw a man escaping over the balcony. The man, identified by police as 19-year-old Alex Lefkove, was arrested following a short foot chase.

Christine Grube Lefkove, Alex Lefkove’s mother, was found with extensive injuries at the scene.

She was rushed to hospital and put on life support, but died of her injuries in hospital about 24 hours later.

No cause of death has yet been released.

Ashton said the incident appears to have been a “targeted, domestic-related dispute.”

Corp. Richard De Jong of the North Vancouver RCMP described the incident as “a very sad story.”

Christine Lefkove lived alone, and appeared to have suffered some health setbacks in recent years, said acquaintances who knew her from the apartment building.

Lefkove made a brief appearance in North Vancouver provincial court Wednesday morning.

His lawyer, Hollis Lucky, said outside court he is still waiting for information in the case, including a cause of death from the coroner.

Lefkove will remain in custody until his next court appearance Feb. 2. Lucky said he will likely be seeking his client’s release on bail at that time.