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Police Say 65-Year-Old Woman Fatally Stabs Her 93-Year-Old Roommate

LONG BEACH (CBSLA.com)  — People who live at the Chateau in Long Beach say they can't imagine anyone hurting 93-year-old Alice Pritchard.

Ron Nickles says he lived next door to Pritchard and her 65-year-old roommate.

"Really nice, friendly lady," Nickles said. "When I realized something ugly was going down the cops were everywhere."

Police say Pritchard was stabbed to death by her roommate Linda Womack and do not have a motive. She has been arrested and charged with murder, police say.

"They had some kind of altercation and Linda snapped and stabbed her," neighbor Peggy Ginn said.

Neighbors say Womack seemed a bit off lately.

"She hadn't been herself in about three weeks," Ginn said.

Julie Schuster added: "She was refusing to take her meds I know for about three weeks."

The Chateau is a licensed facility, housing people older than 60 who may need assistance. They offer private rooms or housing with roommates. Management left a note on their front door saying they had no comment on the situation.

"I knew they had their altercations with each other, had little spats going on but as far as I know that's as far as it went," Ginn said.

Neighbors say their 93-year-old friend will be missed.

"She was kind of funny, she'd come to exercise in the morning and crack jokes," Schuster said.

Police say the woman is being held on $2 million bail.

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