On the afternoon of May 29, shortly after 3:05 p.m., Durham Region police responded to a report of a stabbing on Lynn Heights Drive in Pickering.

According to police, an elderly woman was approached outside her home by a boy who is believed to have been a stranger to her. A brief encounter between the two, captured on video, ended with the boy attacking and stabbing the woman.

She was quickly transported to a trauma centre in the Toronto area, but sadly, she did not survive her injuries.

The suspect fled the scene on foot. He is described as a brown male, wearing a surgical mask, a long, slim black jacket, and carrying a black bag.

At 5:30pm an emergency alert went out to Toronto-area cellphones Thursday evening, advising people to shelter in place. The City of Pickering has closed all public facilities, including community centres and library branches. All scheduled City programs and classes are also cancelled until further notice.

Update: Police announced at around 8:40pm that they have arrested a 14-year-old boy and lifted a shelter-in-place order. He has been charged with First Degree Murder and has been held for a bail hearing.

The victim has been identified as 83-year-old Eleanor Doney.

Please see the statement below issued by Eleanor’s family:

“We want to express our gratitude to the community for the outpouring of love and support during this difficult time. We especially want to thank the first responders for all of their efforts. We take comfort in the fact that she was a woman of strong Christian faith.”

Police continue to investigate and are urging anyone with information to come forward.