Woman facing murder charge in connection with fatal Pickering fire, 1 suspect outstanding: police

A homicide investigation is undeway after a 69-year-old woman was found inside a home that caught fire on Primrose Court in Pickering. (Craig Barry/CTV News Toronto)

The investigation into a fire that killed a senior in Pickering over the weekend is now a homicide, Durham police say.

On June 11, a fire broke out at a home on Primrose Court near Fairport Road, north of Finch Avenue and east of Whites Road North.

Durham Regional Police Service said they were called to that area at about 2:20 p.m. and that a 69-year-old woman was found dead inside a home.

They said the homicide unit took over the investigation once the autopsy on the woman’s body was completed.

Her death is Durham’s third homicide of the year.

On Tuesday, 34-year-old Sandra Coutinho, of Pickering, was arrested and charged with accessory after the fact to murder. She was held in custody for a bail hearing. The charge has not been proven in court.

Investigators added that they have identified an additional suspect, however no information has been released about that individual at this time.

“At this time, (we) believe this to be an isolated incident and there is no threat to public safety,” police said in a news release.

This investigation is ongoing and anyone with further information is asked to contact Det. French of Durham police’s Homicide Unit at 1-888-579-1520, ext. 5421, or Crime Stoppers anonymously.