An elderly woman could have been dead for up to ten weeks before the authorities were alerted, police have revealed. Pepita Sakirecili, also known as Pepita Garcia, was discovered in her bed by officers after a doctor was alerted to her death on January 13. The 75-year-old could have died at any point after the last confirmed sighting of her was made in late October, Det Insp Barry Hart said. The cause of her death has not yet been ascertained.
A 40-year-old man was remanded into custody last month after he appeared in court charged with preventing her lawful burial. Mr Hart said that officers visited Pepita in September after concerns were raised for her wellbeing. No action was taken after she told them she was fine. Detectives continue to investigate her death and are keen to trace a female taxi driver who is understood to have dropped Pepita off at her home and watched her struggling to carry building supplies she’d bought. Mr Hart, of the Metropolitan Police Specialist Crime Unit, also appealed for anyone who knew the pensioner and could provide a background of her life, to get in touch.
He said: "I am keen to speak to a female taxi driver who dropped Pepita off at her home one day over the summer and saw Pepita, a slight elderly lady, struggling to carry some large pieces of plyboard. It appears the taxi driver, who was in a black Mercedes Vito, or similar people carrier with blacked out windows, was concerned for her wellbeing. "The last confirmed sighting of Pepita was in October and we believe she died sometime between late October and December. At this time we are awaiting further tests to identify the cause of death.
"We would like to build a picture as to what may have happened to Pepita and are also appealing for anyone with mobile phone or dashcam footage, taken in Reynardson Road between 16, October 2024 and 31, January, to contact police. Police became aware of her death after a call was placed to her local doctor's surgery on January 13 who in turn contacted the London Ambulance Service. "Police previously visited Pepita in September due to concerns over her welfare but at that time she told Officers she did not require any help.".
