A 74-year-old woman who died in a park in Exeter was attacked with a knife, police have said.
Officers in Devon say they detained a 30-year-old man in the city centre around 9.30pm on Saturday 18 February.
Officers were called at around 4pm earlier that day following reports of a woman having been seriously assaulted with a knife in Ludwell Valley Park, in the Wonford area of Exeter.
Emergency services attended but the local woman was declared dead at the scene. Her next of kin were informed.
Chief Superintendent Dan Evans said: “We do not currently believe that the victim and suspect are known to each other and we are not currently seeking anyone else in connection to this murder, which is being treated as an isolated incident.”
On Saturday evening, police launched a manhunt for a suspect who was seen on CCTV and he was later spotted by an off-duty police officer.
The suspect was arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in custody.
Chief Superintendent Evans said there would be “a heightened police presence in the city over the next few days”.
He added: “We are still searching the Wonford area as part of our investigation, we believe we may have located the knife believed to have been used in the attack and are retrieving this as we speak.
“Whilst we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this offence, it is vital that anyone with any information contacts us immediately.
“Whilst this type of incident is very rare, Wonford is a very close community and I know this death will be felt deeply by all who live in the area.
“My thoughts are with the family and loved ones of the victim at this tragic time. We will be supporting them over the coming days and weeks with specially trained officers.”
