The man an elderly widow trusted to regularly clean her apartment targeted her home for robbery but ultimately stole her life, Toronto police allege.

Police are working on getting Fernando De Castro, 46, extradited from the Philippines on a charge of first-degree murder. The body of 78-year-old Manijeh Bostani-Khamsi was discovered by officers inside her Wynford Dr. apartment unit on Nov. 17.

“Mr. De Castro was well known to the deceased,” homicide Det. Mike Carbone with the homicide unit said at a news conference Monday. “Mrs. Khamsi hired Mr. De Castro and his wife to clean her home on a bi-weekly basis.”

Carbone said police have reason to believe robbery was the motive for murder, but would not reveal what they believe the suspect was after.

“She didn’t live a lavish life,” Carbone said of Bostani-Khamsi, who has children abroad. But he added: “It certainly was not accidental.”

The woman was last seen Nov. 14 at her building near Eglinton Ave. E. and Don Mills Rd., where she lived alone for 10 years following her husband’s death. Police allege that De Castro arrived at her unit just before noon on Nov. 16, while she was home.

Bostani-Khamsi’s body was discovered the following day, when officers were called just after 9 a.m.

Police aren’t revealing how Bostani-Khamsi was killed, but said earlier she was found with “obvious signs of injury.”

“With this appeal, the expectation is that it will generate some more witnesses and we’d like to speak to them before we release any of that information,” Carbone said.

The detective said De Castro came to Canada from the Philippines with his wife, Melpa De Castro, in 2007 as visitors, leaving their children behind.

The pair first lived with family, then rented several apartments across the city, working together cleaning several area homes — though Bostani-Khamsi was believed to be their only employer at the Wynford Dr. apartment building.

Fernando also worked with the elderly as a health care provider, Carbone said.

Police allege that, following the murder, the couple purchased tickets back to the Philippines and fled to Manila on Nov. 20. Both are now believed to be in the southern part of the country.

Police are working with local authorities through Interpol and seeking De Castro’s extradition with help from the Crown’s office and the federal Department of Justice, Carbone said.

He added there is no evidence suggesting Melpa committed any criminal offence and there is no warrant for her arrest.

De Castro is not wanted for any other offence and no concerns have yet been raised about his conduct at other jobs, Carbone said.

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Bostani-Khamsi was the city’s 51st homicide in a year that saw 54 murders.