Toronto man now charged with murder, attempted murder in poisoning of two children

A Toronto man has now been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal poisoning of a three-year-old child.

Francis Ngugi, 45, is now also facing a charge of attempted murder in connection with a second child who was poisoned in the same incident and survived.

Ngugi was initially charged with criminal negligence causing death, two counts of administering noxious substance to endanger life and two counts of unlawfully causing bodily harm when he was arrested earlier this month.

Police say the charges were upgraded today and homicide detectives have taken over the investigation.

The investigation began in March after police say a child died during a sleepover.

They allege the suspect got hold of a controlled substance from his work and put it on the cereal of two children.

Both children needed hospitalization, and police say one died while the other recovered after a lengthy hospital stay.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2021.