Whitby father 'desperate' for answers after boy's death

The father of a boy found with a seatbelt wrapped around his neck in a Whitby, Ont., parking lot is "desperate" for answers about what happened to his son.

Syed Mareer says his son, Subhan Mareer, was found unconscious in the family's minivan outside the Oshawa Centre, a shopping centre on King Street W. near Stevenson Road S., last Friday.

That afternoon, the family — including Subhan's three younger brothers — went shopping, Mareer said. Subhan decided to wait in the car. When the family returned, they found Subhan with a seatbelt wrapped around his neck twice.

"The unexpected and violent death of our son has traumatized our whole family, but the worst part of it has been that we don't have any answers about what happened. We are desperate for any answers or closures that we can get," Mareer said.

The family called out for help and a passerby cut the seatbelt.

Subhan was rushed to Lakeridge Health Oshawa and later transferred to Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, where he died Wednesday.

Durham police are investigating but said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Thursday that there is "no evidence to suggest criminality" in the death.

Mareer is pleading for any information about Subhan's death.

He says he minivan was left unlocked when the family went shopping. Subhan was wearing traditional Islamic clothes. When the family left him, he was sitting in the second row of the vehicle, but was found in the third row in the corner.

"We are really desperate, looking for information from anyone who might know something or have seen anything."

Subhan was a student at Jack Miner Public School and set to start high school in the fall at Donald A. Wilson Secondary School, his father told CBC News. 

"He was happy. He found joy in playing games, tinkering with computers and spending time with family and friends. There was no indication of any mental health issues or depression," he said.

"Our son was an incredible child. He was the oldest, our first born. He was kind, funny, smart, responsible and loving. We hope that we can find some peace and at least get an answer to why or how his life was cut so short."

Police say investigators are seeking information from anyone who was at the Oshawa Centre on Friday between 3:45 p.m. and 5:45 p.m. If anyone has video footage or any information, they are urged to call investigators.