82-Year-Old Woman Beheaded By Machete-Wielding Man
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an elderly woman was beheaded in broad daylight in a suburban back garden. The victim, named by police as Palmira Silva, 82, was found at an address in Edmonton, north London, just after 1pm on Thursday.
By Sadho Ram — 05 Sep 2014, 11:00 AM — Updated about 10 years ago
According to BBC, an 82-year-old woman has been killed in a suspected beheading in the garden of a north London house
Palmira Silva, the victim. Police said they do not know whether she knew her attacker.
Image via bbcimg.co.ukAn elderly woman was found beheaded at a house in a north London suburb on Thursday, British media reported, in an incident that police said did not appear to be terrorist related. Officers said they were called to the house in Edmonton following reports of a man armed with a knife, and found the woman's body in the garden. She was named as 82-year-old Palmira Silva who detectives believe is of Italian descent.
"While it is too early to speculate on what the motive behind this attack was I am confident, based on the information currently available to me, that it is not terrorist related," said Detective Chief Inspector John Sandlin who is leading the investigation.
telegraph.co.ukA 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder and is in custody. He is in hospital being treated for injuries suffered when he was arrested.
Police said a man had run through back gardens armed with a weapon, with officers smashing windows to evacuate terrified residents. They risked their lives and distracted the man so he did not harm anyone else. Armed officers were sent to the scene.
theguardian.com
The Metropolitan police said the 25-year-old man was cornered in a house, Tasered then arrested. One officer broke his wrist in the struggle.
PHOTO: Forensic investigators examine the property in Edmonton where the woman was beheaded
Residents described scenes of terror and panic as the suspect, dressed in black, waved a machete-like weapon as he wandered screaming and shouting through private gardens
Madman on loose with a machete in Edmonton North London. Killed someone still not been caught...Sta safe peeps pic.twitter.com/jofn7MJ7zR
— Shabs (@Redbutdred) September 4, 2014
Apparently theres a guy going around Edmonton with a machete...attacking people....if this is true....be safe kids...
— #BCTakeover (@MrFrancisKojo) September 4, 2014
This shit was scary man pic.twitter.com/oxhOYsGGIC
— Emre ☪ (@EmreFederer) September 4, 2014
Police said they were initially called to reports of a man armed with a knife and eyewitnesses said he had attacked an animal, possibly a cat or a dog
Police said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the killing
Image via bbcimg.co.ukSpeaking at the scene of the attack, Cdr Simon Letchford said police had distracted the man while they evacuated nearby houses. "Officers had to do everything they could to make other people safe and evacuate houses and put their lives on the line to make sure this individual did not cause further harm," he said.
Det Ch Insp John Sandlin said: "I can understand why this may cause people concern, however we are confident that we are not looking for anyone else at this stage. Whilst it is too early to speculate on what the motive behind this attack was I am confident, based on the information currently available to me, that it is not terrorist related."
He said officers smashed windows to get people out of properties after the man was "cornered" in a house. Detectives investigating Ms Silva's death are also looking into an earlier attempted attack on two people in another address in Nightingale Road. Officers said the pair were not thought to have been hurt in the incident. Police said they had traced the victim's next of kin but were unwilling to speculate on the nature of her injuries or the type of weapon used.
independent.ie
A neighbour said she believed the apparent attacker, whom she saw carrying a machete-like knife in a back garden, was a local man
Residents were evacuated from the area and the street has been cordoned off, police said
Image via bbcimg.co.uk"I've seen him around here a lot. I don't know where he lives but I've seen him here, with what look like family or friends," said Freda Odame. Odame said she was about to go to sleep when she heard shouting and banging. "I opened my curtains and I saw a man with a knife a few gardens down," she said. "He was screaming – I couldn't hear any words – and looked frantic. You could see he seemed aggressive."
theguardian.com
The man was waving the weapon, which she described as long and curved, around the grass, "as if he was looking for something on the floor", she added. "I was shaking. I drew the curtains straightaway in case he saw me, and called for my husband." Within five minutes police arrived at the house and evacuated them, she said.