Suspects charged in Vancouver West Side home invasion in which Usha Singh, 78, died (update)

UPDATE:

Two Vancouver men were charged Tuesday following the murder of 78-year-old Usha Singh, who was fatally injured Sunday when two men posing as police allegedly entered her home near Queen Elizabeth Park.

Pascal Bouthilette, 41, is now charged with second-degree murder in connection with the case. Sandy Parisian, 47, is charged with manslaughter.

The men were arrested Tuesday in Vancouver following a VPD investigation.

VANCOUVER Police have arrested two suspects in the violent West Side home invasion of an elderly woman on Sunday. The case is now a homicide investigation.

“This was a tragic and senseless crime that cost an innocent woman her life, and struck fear and anxiety in the community,” said Sgt. Steve Addison. “Vancouver is still a safe city, and thankfully incidents like this are rare. We hope these arrests begin to restore a sense of calm and safety.”

VPD began investigating Sunday morning, after 78-year-old Usha Singh was found badly injured inside her home near Queen Elizabeth Park. It’s believed she was attacked by two men who gained entry to her home by posing as police. Singh was taken to hospital with grave injuries, but died Tuesday.

The two suspects were arrested on Tuesday in East Vancouver. A 47-year-old man, who was also wanted Canada-wide for unrelated offences, was arrested near Strathcona Park with help from a VPD police dog. He suffered a serious but non-life-threatening injury during the arrest and was treated in hospital before being taken to jail. The Independent Investigations Office has been notified of the injury.

The second suspect, a 41-year-old man, was arrested on Tuesday evening near Main Street and Terminal Avenue.

VPD investigators executed multiple search warrants on Tuesday night, including in Strathcona Park, and continue to gather evidence.

Anyone with information about this crime should contact the VPD’s Major Crime Section at 604-717-2500 or Crime Stoppers a 1-800-222-8477.