Woman’s death is 13th city homicide

Toronto police say they have charged a man with second-degree murder after a woman was found dead in a Pelham Park home early Wednesday.

Officers were called to a residence near Davenport Rd. and Symington Ave. shortly before 3 a.m. for a “suspicious death,” Const. Jenifferjit Sidhu said.

Paramedics arrived at the scene and confirmed the woman was dead, Sidhu said.

The homicide unit has taken over the investigation.

According to police, the victim and man knew each other.

Sidhu said they are attempting to notify next of kin, and until then the woman’s age and identity will not be released.

In order to protect the victim’s identity, police are also not releasing the name of the man who was arrested.

He was in court at Old City Hall later on Wednesday.

The death is Toronto’s 13th homicide of 2019.

Including her, nine men and four women have been killed in Toronto so far this year:

Ian Dyer, 36, was stabbed to death in a Toronto Community Housing building near Danforth Ave. and Midland Ave. on Jan. 6. Leigh Min, 34, was arrested two days later and he was charged with first-degree murder.

Lorraine Kerubo Ogoti, 30, was found on an eighth-floor unit of a Scarborough apartment building suffering from stab wounds on Jan. 8. She died at the scene.

Aseel Yehya, 18, was shot dead in an Etobicoke street on Jan. 9, after police said he was approached by a dark-coloured vehicle.

Lingathasan Suntharamoorthy, 36, was shot dead in a Scarborough apartment building in the early morning of Jan. 12.

Hanh (Hana) Nguyen, 41, was stabbed to death at her home, near Jane St. and St. Clair Ave. W., on Jan. 24. Austin Le, 40, was found at the scene and charged with second-degree murder.

Jaunoi Christian, 24, was shot dead outside a nightclub on Queen St. E. near Parliament St. on Feb. 8. Ibrahim Khiar, 33, of Toronto, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder on Feb. 20.

Veronika Mrhova, 24, of Toronto, was sitting in a white Mercedes-Benz when it was shot at multiple times near Lake Shore Blvd. and Silver Moon Dr. early on Feb. 10. She died in hospital five days later.

Dean Howlett, 25, was shot dead in Scarborough’s West Hill neighbourhood on Feb. 12. Naod Tsegazab, 22, of Toronto, was later arrested and charged with second-degree murder.

Tesfa Welsh-Hope, 28, was shot dead near Islington Ave. and Rexdale Blvd. in Rexdale on Feb. 13. Police said Kyle Dias, 19, of Toronto, is wanted for second-degree murder.

Nicklus McKain was shot near 18 John Garland Blvd. in Rexdale shortly before 2 p.m. on Feb. 24. He was taken to a hospital in life-threatening condition, where he later died.

Jason- Otis Lewis, 47, was found unconscious and not breathing near Broadway Ave. and Mount Pleasant Rd. early on March 4. He died in hospital. His death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy found he died of blunt-force trauma. Quentin Luke Lewis, 42, was arrested March 4.

Martin Anthony Johnson, 51, was found dead at a North York apartment after a shooting on March 11. Police were called to 5 Dorado Crt., near Keele St. and Sheppard Ave. W. at 11:20 p.m. for a shooting.

In 2018, Toronto broke its record for homicides in a single year, with 96 in total.