The family of a murdered Delta teen had spent the past four months preparing to see the face of their daughter's alleged killer.
"We're expecting a big, black, dark, scary monster," said Rachael Szendrei, mother of 15-year-old victim Laura, outside Surrey provincial court where an 18-year-old male made his first appearance on first degree murder charges.
Instead, a young man, thin with dirty blonde hair, wearing a charcoal button-down shirt, stood in a prisoner's box at the corner of a high-security courtroom. With his head in his hands, Crown Counsel declared it would seek an adult sentence against the accused at the conclusion of the trial.
The Caucasian suspect cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act because he was 17 when he allegedly beat Szendrei within an inch of her life in broad daylight at Delta's Mackie Park Sept. 25. She died of severe head injuries the next day.
Laura's father Mike Szendrei was visibly agitated throughout the nine-minute hearing, eventually rising to his feet and pointing at the suspect.
"See you, you little s--t," he yelled, pointing at the male, through a Plexiglas wall that separated the court from the gallery.
Outside, Mike Szendrei, flanked by family and friends, continued his verbal assault.
"I'd rip his head off, but there's nothing I can do," he said. "He's in jail. I'm happy.
"When we're all crying, having a birthday, this guy for the last five months - up his a--. I hope this guy's family feels the way I feel."
Earlier Monday, police spokeswoman Sgt. Sharlene Brooks told media the North Delta resident had been arrested without incident in the early hours of Feb. 20 near the Delta-Surrey border.
Brooks added the man had no criminal history and was not attending school.
At the conclusion of the briefing, Szendrei's mother struggled to hold back tears.
"Our daughter Laura, just 15 years old, was full of promise and potential, was taken before she could fulfill her hopes and dreams," she said. "Laura does have a legacy with us, her smile, her kind heart, her laughter, feisty and spirited nature and her passion for life. We miss her dearly."
The suspect will be held in custody until his next court appearance March 7.