A 29-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the disturbing case of Marlene Bird, a Saskatchewan woman found severely assaulted on June 1, Prince Albert police said Sunday evening.
The man, also from Prince Albert, has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated sexual assault. According to a release sent out by police on Sunday, the suspect was arrested Saturday night while officers executed a search warrant at the accused's home.
Bird, a 47-year-old homeless woman, was found the morning of June 1 in a shopping mall parking lot. She had suffered such severe burns that both her lower legs had to be amputated, and she was left with a large laceration that stretched across her entire face from the centre of her forehead down to her chin.
The mother of two adult children, Bird, who is originally from the Montreal Lake Cree Nation, struggled with alcohol addiction and had been living a transient lifestyle in and around Prince Albert at the time of the attack.
Family members and friends described Bird as "kind," and as a "funny" woman "who cared for people on the street."
Bird remains in hospital recovering from her injuries. CBC News has confirmed that she began speaking to hospital staff in the past few days.
Police said the 29-year-old suspect will remain in custody until his first scheduled court appear on July 2, at 9:30 a.m. at Prince Albert Provincial Court.