Homicide detectives are still awaiting the results from Saturday’s autopsy on the body of a woman found in a basement apartment near York University.

Police have deemed the death suspicious and are hopeful that the coroner’s report will help them determine whether the woman was the victim of foul play.

Homicide Insp. Edward Boyd would not confirm reports the victim was a 23-year-old MBA student at York, saying on Friday her identity was yet to be determined.

“The circumstances in which she was located are very concerning to us,” Boyd said.

Police got a call around 11 a.m. Friday reporting “unknown trouble” at the house, which has several occupants, he said.

The three-storey red-brick house on Aldwinckle Heights is in an area of new homes south of the university that is mainly occupied by students.

A York University student who lives at the house arrived at the scene at 7 p.m. Friday. Speaking in Mandarin to a Chinese-language newspaper reporter, he said the young woman who died was from Beijing and had moved in to the house in January.

He refused to give his name, but told the reporter he did not think she was a York student, but rather was taking a “preparation course.”

An hour earlier, another young student who lives at the house was turned away by police as she arrived home.

“I’m upset,” she said, upon being told of the woman’s death.

The student, who would only give her first name, Poornima, said she had spoken to the deceased woman, who lived in the basement, a few times but did not know her. “I feel terrible for her family. She’s a really really nice girl.”

She said eight people live in the house, all students.

Xin Hua Huang, a Chinese consular official, told reporters on the scene that on Friday morning he had received a call from the victim’s mother, who lives in China. She was very worried about her daughter, he said.

“She asked us to come here to find out what happened to her daughter ... to find out if her daughter was safe or was in danger.”

Boyd would not say on Friday whether the body showed signs of trauma.

The death has already been felt on campus, according to Darshika Selvasivam, the York Federation of Students vice president of campaigns and advocacy.

“It’s traumatizing to hear about these things when students live in that community. Having to walk home tonight is going to be a completely different experience for students,” she said.

Many students are talking about the tragedy, said York student Li Wei Shi, who is the president of the York Chinese Students’ Association.

“It’s definitely a shock in the Chinese community,” he said.

Shi lives in the student village and said while there have been other violent incidents none have been so serious.

“Usually if anything bad happens around York it’s either robbery or assault … nothing is life-threatening,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s pretty rare. So you can imagine the impact on students like us.”

Rizwan Ashraf, 27, a technical support worker with Rogers who lives next door, said he was shocked.

“To me, it’s devastating news,” he said.

Shanta Poonai, who lives a few doors down, said she has seen young people sitting on the home’s front steps.

“It’s the first time something like this has happened,” said Poonai, who has lived on the street for five years.

Many homes in the neighbourhood are occupied by students, according to Selvasivam, who said the university should provide more security in the area.

“The community has continuously been sick and tired of this type of incident happening on the York campus and shouldn’t be happening anywhere,” she said, referring to other violent incidents on and near campus.

A week ago, a woman was allegedly beaten in a campus pub washroom. Community groups alleged the attack was homophobic.

With files from Carys Mills and Madeleine White