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Police make arrest in murder of 70-year-old woman whose throat was slashed

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Police make arrest in murder of 70-year-old woman whose throat was slashed
Tyler Pager/The New York Times via Redux
ByAaron Katersky and Anthony Rivas
October 31, 2018, 8:02 PM

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the gruesome murder of a 70-year-old woman living in Manhattan's Upper West Side.

Anya Johnston, 24, was charged with murder and burglary in the death of Susan Trott, police said.

During a burglary of Trott's apartment, there was a confrontation that led to the victim's death, according to the New York Police Department.

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(MORE: 70-year-old woman found dead with throat slashed at home on New York's Upper West Side: Police)

Police responded to a call to Trott's Upper West Side apartment on Sunday, Oct. 21 just before 5 a.m. When they arrived, they found Trott with a slashed throat, the NYPD said.

Murder victim Susan Trott is pictured in a photo posted to New York Police Chief Dermot F. Shea's Twitter account with news of an arrest on Oct. 31, 2018.
NYPDDetectives/Twitter

It appeared that Trott had been stabbed in her living room, a police source previously told ABC News, adding that she was found dead in her bedroom.

There were no signs of forced entry, police said.

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(MORE: New York City records fewest murders, lowest crime rate in decades)

Trott and Johnston lived in the same building on West End Avenue.

Police said on Wednesday that they were waiting to question another woman who lived in Trott's building, but said they were unable to question that woman because she was hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation.

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(MORE: 'I asked him not to go anywhere that evening': One murder on 9/11 is still unsolved in New York City)

She was also known for her love of dogs, a neighbor told ABC Station WABC in New York.

"She loved animals," Helen Stein said. "She loved sad dogs. Rescued, adored them and took good care of them."

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