Halloween decoration scarecrows are still up near the door of the detached brick home in a quiet Brampton residential neighbourhood.

The two boys who lived there were found dead in the home on Wednesday night.

Their father has been charged with first-degree murder in their deaths.

The neighbourhood is reeling, a school is mourning the deaths of two beloved students and everyone is asking “why?”

Police received a call for medical assistance from inside the home on Hiberton Crescent, near Sandalwood Parkway West and Creditview Road, around 10:55 p.m. Wednesday.

Officers found two boys, aged 12 and nine, dead in the home. The Peel police homicide squad took over the investigation after the boys’ deaths were deemed suspicious, Const. Heather Cannon told reporters at the scene.

“We didn’t find any obvious signs of trauma to the children. It was a bit later on that it was determined to be a suspicious death,” she said, announcing that police had charged Edwin Bastidas, 52, with two counts of first-degree murder.

Police have not yet named the boys, nor released their cause of death.

At the scene, neighbour Paula Da Silva identified the boys who lived at the home as Jonathan Bastidas, 12, and Nicolas Bastidas, 9.

“They’re a wonderful family,” said Da Silva, who said she was the boys’ teacher at a before- and after-school program. “I can’t even process it.”

Da Silva described Nicolas as “just a very easygoing kid” who could “mingle with anyone.”

His brother Jonathan was “really into Lego” and would always make time for it, she said.

A Peel police mobile command centre blocked off half of the snowy suburban street Thursday morning as neighbours gathered in clusters.

The two-storey brick detached home could be seen behind police tape.

Kids wandered through the neighbourhood on their way home from school, in the afternoon, as a school bus squeezed by news trucks.

A boy whom the Star is not identifying because he’s a minor and a parent wasn’t present, described Jonathan as “very energetic,” “social” and “always happy.”

The two attended nearby St. Bonaventure Catholic Elementary School, Da Silva said.

“Both boys were very, very loved in school,” said Da Silva

“I’m sure the school is in shock. We all are.”

The school’s flag was lowered to half-mast on Thursday.

A spokesperson for the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board said members of the tragic events response team were at the elementary school to provide support and counselling

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“The DPCDSB is saddened by the news of the tragic loss of two young students from the St. Bonaventure Catholic Elementary School Community,” read an emailed statement.

“Prayers have been offered for the two students, their families and friends as well as the entire St. Bonaventure community.”

The boys are the 24th and 25th victims of homicide in Peel Region this year.

“Our investigators are still investigating, canvassing and speaking with people. As far as the actual cause of death, we’re not speaking to that at this point,” Cannon told reporters. She added that officers were speaking to the occupants who were in the home at the time.

“With this particular case, I think it’s going to touch a lot of people,” Cannon said.

Police are referring to the killings as an “isolated” incident that poses no threat to the community.

“They’re a nice family,” said Mina Deabreu, who has lived in the area for 16 years. “I can’t understand it.”

Her husband, Martin, said another woman, who he believes is the sister of the boys’ mother, lives in the basement of the home. He said he thinks the family is from Spain.

Rifat Bhuiyan, who lives directly across from the closed-off area on Hiberton Crescent, said she would often see the boys outside playing basketball.

“We’re shocked, in our neighbourhood, about why and how it’s happening,” Bhuiyan said. “This neighbourhood is very quiet.”

Another resident of the area, Zameena Himav, said she couldn’t sleep after noticing the police presence in the neighbourhood. “I’d see them with their parents all the time,” she said. “They were nice, happy kids.”

On Twitter, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said the community is grieving.

“As a parent, I just can’t comprehend this. The crisis that (led) to this is yet unknown. But our whole community is grieving. Heartbreaking,” Brown said.

Cannon said the investigation continues. “Just because we’ve made an arrest doesn’t mean the investigation stops,” she said.

“We are always looking for anybody that has any information to contact investigators at the homicide bureau. Anything can help.”

Bastidas appeared in a Brampton courthouse Thursday morning, court staff said.

With files from Jacob Lorinc, Tom Yun and the Brampton Guardian’s Iain Colpitts

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