A 13-year-old boy has been arrested in the fatal stabbing of an elderly woman in Pickering on Thursday afternoon, ending a shelter in place order that spanned several hours as officers searched for a suspect in the seemingly random killing.

“We are announcing that we have arrested a 13-year-old male from Pickering,” Durham Regional Police Chief Peter Moreira confirmed just before 9 p.m., adding that the suspect, who can’t be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was taken into custody “without incident.”

No charges have been announced, but in a release police said they are pending.

Moreira didn’t provide any further details about the arrest, which ended an intense search that saw officers swarm the area.

Police were first called to Fairport Road and Lynn Heights Drive at around 3:05 p.m. after the woman was found injured outside of her home by a passerby.

“Through a review of video footage, it was learned that the female was outside when she was approached by the suspect,” a Durham police release stated. “After a brief encounter, the suspect assaulted the victim in an unprovoked attack, stabbing her multiple times. He then fled eastbound on Lynn Heights Drive prior to police arrival.”

During an earlier update Moreira called it a “sadistic and cowardly unprovoked attack,” but later said investigators would now try to determine if the two were known to each other.

The victim, whose exact age and identity have yet to be released, died in a Toronto-area trauma centre.

Police used considerable resources, including a helicopter and drones, to try and track the suspect down. He was arrested at around 8:30 p.m.

It’s not clear where exactly he was found.

While the hunt was ongoing, residents in the area were urged to shelter in place — an order that ended after the youth’s arrest.

“At this point we are lifting the public shelter in place and there is no longer a danger to the public,” the Chief said.

Police also made the decision to issue an emergency alert which flashed on TV screens and mobile phones.

Moreira said the video footage of the incident showed the suspect making a “stabbing motion,” but he couldn’t say for sure if a knife was used, adding that the weapon hasn’t yet been recovered.

As a result of the investigation and the shelter in place order, the City of Pickering closed all public facilities, including community centres and library branches.

Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe called that a “prudent” decision in light of the circumstances.

“The City of Pickering made a difficult decision to shutter the doors out of an abundance of caution to safeguard our community,” he said, calling it a “horrendous day” for Pickering.

“One should feel safe in their front yard … obviously that wasn’t the case today. Hopefully it’s the case again tomorrow,” he said.

“I’m shocked that a person so young has so much hate in them,” he said of the 13-year-old suspect.

“I can’t speculate on the mental health of this young person (suspect), but it’s obvious to me that there was a troubled young man there.”