Manslaughter charge laid against accused in death of woman who fell from balcony
Written by The Canadian Press on January 16, 2026
MONTREAL — The man accused in the death of a woman who fell from a third-storey balcony on New Year’s Day is now facing a manslaughter charge.
James Theramene, 31, appeared in court Thursday where the Crown laid the new charge against him in the death of Tadjan’ah Desir, 31, who died days after the fall in hospital.
Theramene had initially been charged with aggravated assault.
The incident occurred on New Year’s Day at about 8:15 a.m. in the east-end Mercier—Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.
A witness told police that an altercation had escalated on a third-floor balcony between the woman and the suspect before the woman fell and was found on the ground below the Ste-Catherine Street apartment.
Her death is the city’s first reported homicide in 2026.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 16, 2026.
The Canadian Press