TORONTO -- Police have identified a 66-year-old woman who died after an assault inside an apartment building elevator on Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue West.
Toronto resident Margaret Cameron died in hospital after she was found by police with severe injuries, including obvious head trauma, at around 6:45 p.m. on Friday.
A suspect, identified as 49-year-old Karl Hoyes, was taken into custody shortly after midnight. Police said the man has been charged with first-degree murder in the woman’s death.
Police told reporters Saturday afternoon that there is a “sexual assault component” to their investigation.
“We are looking at a number of motives, one of them being a sexual assault component,” Det. Sgt. Rob North said. “We are still very early, we are less than 24 hours in but it is something we are looking into.”
North said that the suspect and the victim may have “had a loose circle of friends” and could have had some “very minor interaction” previously but were not otherwise known to one another.
The victim lived in the building, he said, while the suspect had previously lived there some time ago.
North said that the early obtainment of video surveillance footage helped the investigation.
“They conducted an immediate canvas, including a video canvas, and Mr. Hoyes was quickly identified,” he said.
“Due to public safety, we then immediately gathered further resources from the Gun and Gang Task Force and Major Crime Unit to attempt to locate him.”
The homicide is Toronto’s 71st of 2019, and North described the circumstances as “completely unacceptable and tragic.”
He said that while police believe that the homicide is an “isolated incident,” it nonetheless should serve as a reminder “to be aware of your surroundings at all times.”
“It was 6:45 p.m. in the evening, so there would be a lot of people around,” he said. “That is why I am making the request to anybody with information about this incident or Mr. Hoyes to contact us.”
