GILPIN TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A 79-year-old woman was found stabbed to death in Armstrong County, leading to an hours-long barricade situation.
Officers from the Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department responded to a reported stabbing on Schenley Road in Gilpin Township around 4:34 p.m. on Sunday.
When officers arrived, they found Rosalind Cooper, 79, stabbed to death inside a home.
Police said the suspect, identified as Mengqi Zhang, 37, barricaded herself inside her home nearby and refused to cooperate with officers.
A perimeter was set up around the home. State police took over the investigation, and SWAT was called.
On Monday around 1:20 a.m., Zhang exited the home and was taken into custody without further incident. She has been charged with criminal homicide and aggravated assault.
A criminal complaint identified Zhang as the wife of the victim’s son.
Once taken into custody, she reportedly told investigators she was in an argument with Cooper. She reportedly grabbed a knife from the kitchen and stabbed and slashed Cooper in the hand and stomach before going to her home, washing the knife, changing her clothes and using multiple towels to wipe down her body.
Zhang’s husband, per the complaint, told police that she had some home and told him she stabbed his mother and possessed a bloody knife.
Zhang is being held at the Armstrong County Prison without bail.
The Southern Armstrong Regional Police Department extended its appreciation to all responding agencies for their professionalism and cooperation during the incident.
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