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Deputy police chief Trish Ferguson said Berhe's death was a femicide, a term the city's police force describes as a "misogynist killing of women and girls because of their gender, overwhelmingly committed by men." She said police adopted the definition in consultation with partners who work to combat violence against women.

Berhe was a married mother of four, and police say Tekhle had a domestic relationship with one of her family members.

It's the second time this year that police in the capital have identified a homicide as a femicide.

"It really is about stereotypical gender roles, discrimination toward women and these homicides are women who are killed by men because they are women," Ferguson told reporters.

"I know that traditionally we would all jump straight to the conclusion that they must be in an intimate relationship, but that's not always the case, and this is one of those matters," Ferguson added.

Ferguson said witnesses to the stabbing tried to help Berhe and protected her young children. They also gave police a detailed description of the suspect and his vehicle as he fled the area.

"There were people who did some tremendously heroic things yesterday, and courageous things," she said. "And it was because of this that we were able to arrest him so quickly."

Authorities believe Tekhle was returning to Montreal when Ottawa police tracked him down on Highway 417, near the exit for Casselman, Ont. Officers deployed a "rolling block" to stop the accused, a manoeuvre that involves boxing a vehicle in and forcing it to slow down.

Ferguson said the suspect was not known to Ottawa police.

This report by ºÃÉ«tvwas first published Oct. 25, 2024.

— By Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal.