Police investigate homicide at Terrebonne, Que., seniors' residence
Woman and man found unconscious on Saturday evening
UPDATE: On Oct. 5, police announced that the health condition of the man who was found at the scene has improved and he's since been charged with first-degree murder.
Police in the Montreal suburb of Terrebonne, Que., are investigating the homicide of a 79-year-old woman that occurred inside a seniors' residence.
Two people, the woman and an 81-year-old man, were found unconscious on Saturday evening inside a room at the Ressource de Lanaudière, a residence for seniors who have light or moderate loss of autonomy that is overseen by the regional health board.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Police described her death as a homicide in a media release Monday morning.
Police sources told Radio-Canada the woman had Alzheimer's disease. The man was her partner, and he had attempted to take his own life, the police sources said. He did not live at the residence.
First responders administered medical aid to the man and transported him to the hospital, where he remains under police supervision. He is considered a suspect in the death of the woman, according to police.
The residence is located on the upper floors of Maison l'étincelle, a private seniors' home that specializes in caring for cognitively impaired residents, according to its website.
The case has been transferred to criminal investigators.