An 84-year-old woman who perished in a Toronto house fire was the victim of a “cowardly and deplorable” arson, according to a Toronto Police detective.

Police said Giovanna Balestrieri died in a fire Saturday night at a residence in the Avenue Rd.-Boswell Ave. area.

“We have determined this is an arson investigation with a criminal component to it, as a result we are treating this as a homicide,” said Det.-Sgt. Trevor Grieve on Monday.

“If I’m going to be candid, this was a tragic and senseless act,” he added. “In fact, cowardly and deplorable come to mind. This female was home alone and we are going to do everything we can to find the individual who is responsible for that. I think it’s too early to speak to motive.”

Police alleged that a suspect set fire to Balestrieri’s house while

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