VANCOUVER -- A woman who police say was assaulted during a home invasion in Vancouver has died, according to officials.
It is alleged the woman, identified by police as Usha Singh, was attacked over the weekend by two men who were posing as police officers.
The 78-year-old was found badly injured inside her home near Queen Elizabeth Park, when a friend came to check on her.
Police say it is believed her attackers were let into her house after posing as officers early Sunday morning. Sgt. Steve Addison said it's likely she lay injured inside her home for hours before she was found.
"This really was a tragic and senseless act that did not need to happen and shouldn’t have happened,” Addison said at a news conference Wednesday. “I understand this has caused a significant amount of anxiety and concern throughout the neighbourhood and throughout the city.”
The victim was rushed to hospital, where police initially described her as "clinging to life." Authorities confirmed Tuesday that she had died, turning the case into a homicide investigation.
Merla Bertin, one of the victim's neighbours, said learning the news was "very scary."
“I still can’t believe that happened to her," Bertin said, adding that the senior mostly kept to herself but was a familiar friendly face around the neighbourhood.
As part of the investigation, officers canvassed the area and collected security camera video from shaken neighbours.
The VPD says two suspects were arrested Tuesday in East Vancouver, one of whom was already wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for unrelated allegations.
The 47-year-old was taken into custody near Strathcona Park with help from a police dog. He sustained a serious but non-life-threatening injury during his arrest, police said, but details were not provided other than that he required treatment in hospital.
A 41-year-old man was also arrested near Main Street and Terminal Avenue.
The B.C. Prosecution Service confirmed to CTV News that Pascal Jean Claude Bouthillette, the younger of the two, has been charged with second-degree murder.
Sandy Jack Parisian has been charged with manslaughter.
Sources tell CTV News Parisian is known to live at the Oppenheimer and Strathcona park encampments.
“We hope that these arrests begin to restore a sense of safety in the community and help people feel at ease,” Addison said. “I do understand this has been very traumatic for a number of people.”
As part of the investigation, police executed a number of search warrants Tuesday, including at Strathcona Park where officers were met by a crowd of about 50 angry residents from the encampment there.
Addison said the crowd was aggressive and rude and officers feared it would attempt to interfere with the investigation so they put out a call for backup.
“Police officers who were working in all corners of the city had to respond with lights and sirens and get there as fast as they could because our officers really did face a dangerous situation,” Addison said about the confrontation.
Video live-streamed to Facebook by some of the campers showed a line of people facing off with police, demanding to see a search warrant, while several dozen officers, some armed with rifles stood between them and other police involved in the search.
A recreational vehicle was eventually towed from the parking lot on the eastern edge of the park.
Vancouver police say one person was taken into custody during the confrontation but the arrest had nothing to do with the initial home invasion and murder investigation.
Speaking with CTV News Wednesday, a spokesperson from the encampment said campers were confused about why police were there and simply wanted to see the search warrant, which police did not show them.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact the VPD, or to call Crime Stoppers anonymously.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Scott Hurst
