Two women are arrested on suspicion of murder after a man in his 70s is found dead at retirement home in Stockton
Published: 13:59 EDT, 21 July 2026 \| Updated: 15:31 EDT, 21 July 2026
Two women have been arrested on suspicion of murder after a man in his 70s died at a retirement flat.
Police were called to Cedar House, a sheltered housing scheme for residents aged over 60 in Stockton, County Durham, at 2.44am on Tuesday before the man was pronounced dead.
Officers arrested the two women, aged 41 and 54, and they remain in police custody.
Detective Chief Inspector John Bonner, of Cleveland Police's homicide and major enquiry team, said the force believed 'this was a targeted incident' and were working to establish what had happened.
Cedar House is a retirement complex of 44 one-bedroom flats with mobility and wheelchair provision, according to housing charity Elderly Accommodation Counsel.
Last year it underwent a £1.9million upgrade overseen by construction company Equans, which included new CCTV amongst other improvements.
Thirteen, the housing association responsible for Cedar House, said its sheltered accommodation provided support for 'customers to continue to live as independently as possible'.
The man who died at Cedar House has not yet been formally identified but police said his family had been told and specialist officers were supporting them.
Two women have been arrested after a man in his seventies died at a retirement flat in Stockton, County Durham
Police were at the block on Tuesday as they arrested the pair, who remain in custody
Photos from a 2023 advert showed a one-bedroom flat in the retirement home, which housing association Thirteen said included round-the-clock emergency help through an alarm system
Mr Bonner added: 'Our thoughts remain with the man's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.
'We would like to appeal to anyone who may have attended Cedar House at any point yesterday in the late evening or into the early hours of this morning – who may have seen anything out of the ordinary or seen anyone behaving suspiciously.
'Those people are asked to contact Cleveland Police as quickly as possible.'
In a rental advert for one of Cedar House's one-bedroom flats, advertising its availability from June 2023, Thirteen said all units had a 'secure intercom door entry system meaning you can feel secure in your own home'.
It added 'help from support staff' was available alongside '24-hour emergency help through an alarm system'.
Cedar House also has communal areas including gardens and lounges and social activities for residents, the advert said.