Authorities have confirmed that the death of an elderly woman discovered inside her South Side residence has now been ruled a homicide.
The victim, identified as 84-year-old Benilda Ruiz, was found unresponsive Thursday morning at a home located in the 11000 block of South Washtenaw Avenue in Chicago’s West Morgan Park neighborhood.
When officers initially responded to the scene, her death appeared to be from natural causes, and she was pronounced dead at the residence. However, further examination by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed that Ruiz had sustained multiple injuries consistent with an assault.
Following the updated findings, the case has been officially reclassified as a homicide. Chicago police confirmed that Area Two detectives are now leading the investigation.
No additional details have been released as authorities continue to gather information.
