POINCIANA, Fla. -- Investigators in Osceola County, Fla., are searching for a man they believe killed a 99-year-old woman inside her home during a burglary.

---

PHOTOS: Images From Story

---

Detectives said Edith Mecalla, who was a mother of 11 and a grandmother of 50, was found dead Tuesday by her daughter at a home located at 734 Del Ray Drive in Poinciana.

"We expect people to die," the victim's granddaughter Michelle Smith said. "It is a part of life. But to go in this violent manner at this stage in your life, that is the part that hurts the most. She is 99 years old. You could see she is old and lying there. Why would you do this?"

The victim's daughter said she saw an unknown man inside the house. She called police but the man had fled the area by the time officers arrived.

The culprit is described as a black male with a thin build. He was last seen wearing a short-sleeved red shirt and jeans.

Initially, detectives believed the incident to be a suspicious death but after further investigation, they determined it to be homicide.

Police did not give a cause of death in the case.

Neighbors said they are afraid for their lives after the crime.

"You just don't feel safe out here," neighbor Karen Montefusco said. "I don't know anybody who feels safe out here."

Anyone with information concerning the incident is urged to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.