Ottawa's sixth homicide victim of the year is being remembered as a good man with a temper who died in a bad area of town.
Henry "Hugo" Belmore was found without vital signs on a Rideau Street bench Sunday after reportedly picking a fight with two other men on the sidewalk.
Earl, who didn't want his last name used, said he lived with Belmore at the Ottawa Mission.
He described him as a man with a quick temper who often got into fights.
"He tried to pick a fight with me and another gentleman, an elderly gentleman the night he got stabbed and I told him to hit the road," Earl said. "Apparently he left here and went downtown, he was drinking and argued with some other people."
People who live in the area of Rideau Street and Nelson Street say it's sometimes dangerous.
"I think it's evidence that this area is not really livable or very safe," said Ravinder Singh.
"I always walked in this area at nighttime and I'm telling you, if you walk behind this area you feel really scared and concerned about your health," he said.
Police said the number of shelters in the area makes it a prime spot for crime.
"There is a large concentration of shelters for the homeless, so we do have a very large population for people that can be quite victimized," said Murray Knowles with the Ottawa police.
Regardless of where the stabbing happened, people are mourning a young man's life that has ended prematurely.
"It's just a shame that predicament happened," Earl said. "One's got to do life and the other one's gone. . . it's a shame."
Ottawa police have no suspects in the case and are asking anyone with information to call their major crimes unit at 613-236-1222 extension 5493.
They said Monday night they're looking for a female who called 911 at the scene, as well as a man who walked by the stabbing as it happened.
With a report from CTV Ottawa's Ellen Mauro
