Man, 72, charged in fatal beating

• Tweet

TORONTO, March 15 (UPI) -- A 72-year-old man was charged with assaulting two women who were fellow residents of the Toronto nursing home where he lived, killing one of them, police said.

Peter Roy Brooks was arrested at the Wexford Residence and charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault, the Toronto Star reported Thursday. The dead woman was identified as Joycelyn Dickson, 72, while the other victim, a 91-year-old woman, was described as being in fair condition.

Investigators said all three lived in the long-term-care section of the Wexford Residence. The residence provides 90 apartments for people age at least 59 and long-term-care beds for 166 residents, some of them on secure floors for people with dementia.

Officials and police would not say if the Wednesday night attacks took place in a secure unit.

Homicide Detective Sgt. Wayne Banks said several rooms on two floors were being treated as a crime scene. He said police had also recovered an apparent weapon but would not give details.

"We'll probably be here for at least a couple days making sure we get the proper forensic evidence," he said.