A 14-year-old boy has been taken into custody following what police described as a “sadistic and cowardly” stabbing that resulted in the death of an elderly woman in Pickering, Ont., on Thursday.
Durham Regional Police stated that the boy was apprehended without any issues on Thursday night, about three hours after an emergency alert was sent out urging residents nearby to stay indoors while officers searched for the suspect. They mentioned that charges are forthcoming.
The alert has since been lifted and there is no ongoing threat to the public, police Chief Peter Moreira informed reporters on Thursday evening.
“I want to thank the members of our community for sheltering in place and doing exactly what we asked them to do,” Moreira said.
Initially, police reported that the boy was 13 years old but later updated his age in an email to CBC Toronto on Friday.
‘An unthinkable tragedy’: police chief
According to authorities, an elderly woman was approached by a male stranger outside her residence on Lynn Heights Drive near Fairport Road at around 3 p. m. on Thursday.
“After a brief interaction, the suspect stabbed the female in a sadistic and cowardly unprovoked attack that was captured on video,” Moreira stated.
In a subsequent news release, police mentioned that a passerby discovered the woman lying on the ground with traumatic injuries. She was transported to a trauma center in Toronto, where she succumbed to her injuries. Authorities have not disclosed the victim’s age yet.
From reviewing video footage, police learned that the woman had been stabbed multiple times. The suspect fled towards a wooded area before officers arrived, they noted.
Durham police communicated details about the incident through their social media channels, he said.
Then around 5:40 p. m., Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) issued an emergency alert for Durham police stating they were investigating a homicide suspect near Lynn Heights Drive and requested residents to monitor media for updates.
Durham Regional Police issued this emergency alert at about 5:40 p. m. on Thursday. (CBC)
Moreira explained that while the alert was aimed at residents around Lynn Heights Drive and Fairport Road, it is standard OPP protocol to extend alerts beyond a requested area for public safety reasons should the suspect continue fleeing.
The police conducted an extensive search of the vicinity using helicopters, canine units, tactical support along with assistance from Toronto police and Ontario Provincial Police before arresting the boy at 8:30 p. m.
“To the family of the victim, our heart goes out to you. This is an unthinkable tragedy that should not have happened,” Moreira expressed.
‘We’ve never seen anything like this’: resident
Moreira indicated that authorities still do not know what motivated this act. The woman was “doing nothing but whatever one would do in front of their own home,” he commented. He called it “unimaginable.”
“She is not responsible at all for what has happened to her,” he added.
Tyler Dunstan, who has lived in the neighborhood since 2010, reported coming home around 3:30 p. m. only to find several police vehicles present; he then asked an officer about what transpired.
Dunstan mentioned having seen the victim previously.“You always see her outside kind of gardening or kind of walking around.. The whole neighbourhood is like that, just a lot of friendly people out and about.”
Tyler Dunstan says: ‘We’ve never seen anything like this.’ (Michael Cole/CBC)
Dunstan described hearing about this incident as “terrifying.”“We’ve never seen anything like this,” he remarked.
