The son of a woman found dead in a home near Oakwood and St. Clair avenues has been charged with second-degree murder, sources tell CBC News.

Police say the accused, who is under the age of 18, was arrested in Winnipeg and will be brought back to Ontario, where a court date will be scheduled for him.

Investigators say the body had been in the home "for a while," but are trying to determine exactly how long it had been there before being discovered. Neighbours told CBC News the woman hadn't been seen in weeks.

The 54-year-old victim was found on Monday when officers conducted a "well-being check" at the home. The coroner deemed the death suspicious at the time and ordered an autopsy.

The woman was "a very caring individual," Alexander Isacc told CBC News.

"She watched over us when we were young ... She was very inspiring to grow up with," he said.

Dannis Koromilas told CBC News the residents on the street are a tight-knit community, where many of the children play together.

"This grim thing has come home to all of us now," he said.

Koromilas described the victim as "sweet" and "doing everything she could to raise her son."

The accused cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The woman's death marks Toronto's fifth homicide of the year.