Man charged after woman found dead in apartment
A 51-year-old man is in police custody after a woman was found dead in an east-end Toronto apartment Thursday morning.
Emergency crews were called to an apartment at Dawes Rd. and Victoria Park Ave. at 8:30 a.m. for reports of an assault.
Paramedics performed CPR on the woman who was found without vital signs, but “unfortunately, they were unsuccessful in resuscitating her,” said Toronto police Const. Allyson Douglas-Cook. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. She has been identified by police as 36-year-old Michelle Riley of Toronto.
Det.-Sgt. Tim Gallant told reporters at the scene that a man who was inside the apartment at the time was arrested.
He said it was too soon to determine the relationship between the suspect and the victim. A police investigation is ongoing.
On Thursday evening, police confirmed the man arrested, Brian Williams, is now facing a second-degree murder charge. Williams is scheduled to appear in court at College Park on Friday morning.
Riley’s death was described as a shock by some tenants of her apartment complex Thursday morning.
Resident Jennifer MacAdam said she was horrified and still in shock after learning the victim was her friend of 25 years.
MacAdam described her as a “sweet girl” with a “big heart” who had faced many struggles, but was working on getting her life back together.
She said Riley had frequently done whatever she could to help others and often opened her home to those in need.
Kaitlyn Cowan, a resident of the building’s 10th floor where police were called on Thursday morning, echoed MacAdam’s comments on Riley’s generosity for opening her home to others in need.
Cowan said Riley lived alone, but held an open door to friends who needed a place to stay.
Riley’s death is Toronto’s 10th homicide of 2017. With files from Vjosa Isai