Giovanna Balestrieri, 84, has been identified as the victim of a fatal fire in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood on Saturday, and investigators are now treating it as a homicide, police told reporters Monday afternoon.

Police have video footage of a suspect setting fire to the house, Det. Sgt. Trevor Grieve said.

“If I’m going to be candid, this was a tragic and senseless act,” Grieve said. “In fact, cowardly and deplorable come to mind.”

He also extended his condolences to her family, who he said were on their way into the city from outside the Greater Toronto Area.

Grieve couldn’t speak to a possible motive but emphasized that there was a clear intent.

“This is definitely a targeted incident. A targeted event,” he said. “That’s based totally on the video that we have.”

However, he was

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