A 39-year-old man, Carl Gauthier-Beauregard, was charged Sunday afternoon with second-degree murder in the death of 64-year-old Danielle Beauregard.
The incident occurred around 9 p.m. on Rue Principale Ouest in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Rochelle. When police arrived, they found the body of an unconscious woman. The victim was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Criminal investigators are trying to clarify the circumstances that led to this suspicious death. Crime scene technicians were on site during the day on Sunday.
This is an ongoing investigation, particularly in relation to stage competence. There are witnesses to meet, explains SQ spokesman Stéphane Tremblay.
The victim showed signs of violence. We don’t know the cause of death.
Already in the first hours after the intervention of the emergency services, the police reiterated that the theory being investigated was primarily murder.
An earlier version of this text stated that the defendant’s name was Carl Tremblay-Beauregard. It’s more like Carl Gauthier-Beauregard.
Carl Gauthier-Beauregard was arrested Saturday evening as a suspect in the case. He was interviewed by investigators and appeared via video conference on Sunday afternoon.
The reason for the arrest of the man in his thirties was murder. Now there is a difference between a reason for arrest and a formal accusation by the Director of Criminal and Prosecution, who will have all the evidence to bring appropriate charges in the coming days, explains Audrey-Anne Bilodeau.
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Crime scene technicians are on duty in Sainte-Anne-de-la-Rochelle.
Photo: Radio-Canada
A neighbor witnessed the arrest
Paul Arès, a neighbor who lives opposite the victim’s house, claims to have spoken to her a few times. The day before the event, he said he heard an argument that evening. There was screaming in the house, it was the first time I had heard that, he says.
On the day of the tragedy, this neighbor stated that he had noticed the frequent comings and goings of a van in front of the house, which he said was an unusual occurrence.
When the police arrived on Saturday evening, he was alerted. I saw them arrive with their flashlights and could see the light moving through the house from one room to another. And at one point there were four or five police officers there, I saw them all going out with the guy, he says. He then said he heard police tell a man he was under arrest for murder.