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Two young women slashed the throat of a 75-year-old Berkeley woman Wednesday evening as she and her husband strolled along Euclid Avenue past the Berkeley Rose Gardens. 

Though the victim is expected to recover, “there is no indication that it was a robbery or attempted robbery and we are treating as a homicide,” said Berkeley Police spokesperson Office Joe Okies. 

According to Sgt. Howard Nonoguchi of the BPD Homicide detail, the victim didn’t know the suspects, who walked directly up to her and slashed her throat without uttering a word at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday. 

The pair then fled in a light blue BMW M3 convertible. 

“The random and violent nature of this attack” are of great concern to police, said the homicide detective. “We are aggressively investigating this case to identify the people responsible for this attempted homicide.” 

The suspects are described as two women between the ages of 17 and 29. The knife was wielded by a thinly built black-haired African American woman 5’5” to 5’10” tall. She was wearing gray sweats, said Officer Okies. 

The second suspect was described as thinly built of indeterminate ethnicity with brown hair approximately five inches shorter than her companion. 

Their victim was rushed to Highland Hospital, where she remains under treatment. 

The attack “seems to be totally random,” said Okies. 

Detectives are asking anyone with information on the attack to calls the homicide detail at 981-5741 or e-mail police@ci.berkeley.ca.us. Callers may remain anonymous, Okies said. 

Police will hold an informational meeting on the attack next Thursday at 7 p.m. in the cafeteria of the Oxford Elementary School, 1130 Oxford St.›