A 21-year-old woman from Brampton, Ont., died shortly after police found her in her basement apartment suffering from a severe beating Sunday afternoon, and a 26-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder.
Peel Regional Police, responding to a call from a passerby, found a naked man wandering a street. southbound along Fletchers Creek Boulevard at about 1:15 p.m. near Bovaird Drive and McLaughlin Boulevard.
"We have no idea what his state was at the time," Constable Jennifer Bryer of Peel Regional police said.
Police arrested the man and questioned him. Within a few minutes, they were told that a woman was injured in a nearby residence.
Police found Audrey Cote suffering from severe trauma. She was taken to a local hospital where she died at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Constable Bryer said that the victim and the accused are known to one another, though it did not look like the suspect lived in the apartment with Ms. Cote. She was renting the apartment at the time.
An autopsy is expected to be performed this week.
Ryan Bucknor appeared in Ontario Court in Brampton yesterday to face a charge of second-degree murder.
The investigation is continuing and police don't yet know what factors led to Ms. Cote's death.
This is Peel Region's fourth homicide of the year.