First-degree murder charges for man, 20, after woman stabbed to death in Laval woods

A 20-year-old man is facing first-degree murder charges in connection with the stabbing death of a woman in a wooded area of Laval Wednesday evening.

Laval police (SPL) say Irina Draghicescu Iankulov, 46, died after she was found with multiple stab wounds in the Armand-Frappier Woods in Chomedey district.

Konstantinos Tsagaroulis, 20, is facing the charges in court on Thursday.

Shortly after 7:30 p.m., police received a 911 call and responded to the well-travelled wooded area near the corner of Murray Avenue and 8th Street, a popular place for walking that residents say is usually busy in the evenings. 

Once police arrived, they found the woman with severe injuries to her upper body and performed CPR.

She was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Stéphanie Beshara, a spokesperson for the Laval police.

Based on information from witnesses, police arrested a 20-year-old man.

Officers say they have reason to believe he fled the crime scene in a car before attempting to seek refuge in a building on 66th Avenue.

Police would not confirm whether or not the man and woman knew each other.

"There is no parental link," Beshara told Noovo Info, adding that neither the suspect nor the victim were known to police.

A command post has been set up in the area to allow investigators to canvass the scene.

This is the 14th femicide in Quebec since the start of the year.