Man charged with 2nd-degree murder in death of 22-year-old woman

A man has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of a young womanin southwest Ottawa.

Ottawa police were called to a home on Woodvale Green, near Knoxdale Road and Craig Henry Drive, at about 10:20 a.m. on Sunday, where they"discovered a woman deceased," the force said in a news release issued Monday.

She has been identified by police as Savanna Pikuyak.

Pikuyak was 22 years old, and would have turned23 later this month, according to her mother, Sheba Pikuyak.

Shebasays her daughter arrived in the city from Nunavut last week to attend Algonquin College, with the dream of becoming a nurse.

Officers took a man into custody, the release added.

Nikolas Ibey, 33,appeared in court earlier Monday and is charged with second-degree murder.

Andy Daves, who has lived in the neighbourhood she describes as "very friendly, very family oriented"since 2015, said the incident took place at a home that had just recently been sold.

She estimatedits new occupants moved in less than two weeks ago, and saidpeople in the neighbourhood don't know them.

"We just want to know what actually happened, because none of us really know. We don't want to just listen to rumours," she said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Ottawa police homicide unit at 613-236-1222, ext. 5493.Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers toll-free at 1-800-222-8477 or atcrimestoppers.ca.