Toronto man charged in women’s death in Regent Park

A man is charged with second-degree murder after a woman was found dead early Saturday morning in a Toronto Community Housing apartment in Regent Park.

The woman, Natasha Perez, 28, was found in the kitchen of a 24th-floor unit having suffered “sharp-force injury,” said homicide Det. Sgt Gary Giroux, noting a household knife was found on the scene.

Police were called to 220 Oak St., near Gerrard St. and the Don Valley Parkway shortly before 6 a.m. after a man called 911 from the apartment, said Giroux. The man was taken into custody at the scene.

Brian Harte, 42, of Toronto, is scheduled to appear in court at Old City Hall on Sunday.

Giroux said it is not clear what the relationship was between the accused and the victim.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident arose from a “dispute,” according to Staff Sgt. Kevin Guest.

Abena Oduro, who lives in the highrise, said she did not know the victim personally, but added she would often see a man in the building who other residents said was the victim’s boyfriend. She described him as “white with a goatee and tattoos.”

“He wouldn’t say a word whenever I was in the elevator with him.”

Oduro said dangerous activity is not uncommon in her building.

“Believe me, a lot of things are going on here,” she said. “A lot of the people in this building, 99 per cent of them do drugs or deal them.”

On Feb. 6, another resident of the building was shot in the chest when he opened the door of his second-floor apartment. He survived.

In December 2011, Stephen Henry, a 59-year-old man, was found dead on the 15th floor of the highrise. Investigators deemed his death suspicious.