Boy, 14, charged with first-degree murder in ‘random’ stabbing of elderly Pickering woman

A 14-year-old boy has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal stabbing of an elderly woman in Pickering on Thursday afternoon that police believe was a random attack.

The teen appeared in court via video from a Durham police station on Friday where he was formally charged with first-degree murder.

He was wearing dark clothing and had a white bandage on his hand.

Police initially said the boy, from Pickering, was 13, but in court on Friday it was revealed that he is 14-years-old.

His next court appearance has been scheduled for June 20.

Durham Regional Police Chief Peter Moreira said the suspect, who can’t be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was taken into custody “without incident” at around 8:30 p.m. Thursday.

Police were first called to Fairport Road and Lynn Heights Drive at around 3:05 p.m. after the woman was found gravely injured outside of her home by a passerby.

“Through a review of video footage, it was learned that the female was outside when she was approached by the suspect,” a Durham police release stated. “After a brief encounter, the suspect assaulted the victim in an unprovoked attack, stabbing her multiple times. He then fled eastbound on Lynn Heights Drive prior to police arrival.”

During an earlier update Chief Moreira called it a “sadistic and cowardly unprovoked attack,” but later said investigators would now try to determine if the two were known to each other.

Durham police Acting Staff Sgt. Joanne McCabe elaborated on Friday. “Any connection to this area and any connection to this victim we are still looking at,” she said. “As of right now I can tell you this appears to be a random attack and we do have no connection between the victim and the suspect in custody.”

The victim, who is believed to be in her 80s, died in a Toronto-area trauma centre.

“The name of the victim is not being released at the time at the request of the family,” McCabe added.

CityNews has learned she was a retired kindergarten teacher who was gardening in her front lawn when she was attacked.

One area resident said he saw the suspect walking down the street following the fatal assault.

“He was very casual walking down the sidewalk, like he wasn’t panicked, he wasn’t scared, it wasn’t obvious that he had just done something, but (appeared) kind of like happy in a way…it was very, very creepy,” the man told 680 NewsRadio.

McCabe couldn’t corroborate reports from residents that the suspect was seen prowling in the area in recent days, but said investigators are aware of them and are exploring all possible avenues.

Shelter in place lifted after arrest

Police used considerable resources, including a helicopter and drones, to try and track the suspect down.

It’s not clear where exactly he was found.

While the hunt was ongoing, residents in the area were urged to shelter in place — an order that ended after the youth’s arrest.

“At this point we are lifting the public shelter in place and there is no longer a danger to the public,” the Chief said.

Police also made the decision to issue an emergency alert which flashed on TV screens and mobile phones.

Moreira said the video footage of the incident showed the suspect making a “stabbing motion,” but he couldn’t say for sure if a knife was used, adding that the weapon hasn’t yet been recovered.

As a result of the investigation and the shelter in place order, the City of Pickering closed all public facilities, including community centres and library branches.

Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe called that a “prudent” decision in light of the circumstances.

“The City of Pickering made a difficult decision to shutter the doors out of an abundance of caution to safeguard our community,” he said, calling it a “horrendous day” for Pickering.

“One should feel safe in their front yard … obviously that wasn’t the case today. Hopefully it’s the case again tomorrow,” he said.

“I’m shocked that a person so young has so much hate in them,” he said of the young suspect.

“I can’t speculate on the mental health of this young person (suspect), but it’s obvious to me that there was a troubled young man there.”