A mother is mourning the loss of her 3-year-old after she and her toddler were stabbed in what appears to be a random attack at an Ohio grocery store.
In a press release shared on Tuesday, June 4, North Olmsted police detective Sgt. Matt Beck said Bionca Ellis, 32, of Cleveland, was arrested in connection to the crime. She is accused of stabbing 3-year-old Julian Wood of North Olmsted and his mother, Margot Wood, 38.
Julian and Margot were both transported to St. John's Medical Center for treatment. However, the child died from injuries sustained during the attack. His mother was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to survive, the press release said.
Per Fox 8, Ellis was charged with aggravated murder after being arraigned via video from jail on Tuesday afternoon. The outlet adds that her bond was set at $1 million.
According to Beck, around 3 p.m. local time on Monday, June 3, North Olmsted Dispatch received multiple 911 calls with reports of a Black woman wearing all black, who was stabbing people in the parking lot of the Giant Eagle grocery store located at 27264 Lorain Road.
“The investigation into the motive of this attack is still ongoing, but everything learned thus far points that this was a random act of violence. Ellis and the victims had no prior interactions before this incident,” the press release said.
Beck said surveillance video showed Ellis obtaining a kitchen knife from a nearby Volunteers of America store prior to the attack, per Fox 8.
Additionally, video footage allegedly showed Ellis walking into the grocery store, where she passed Margot and Julian. She then followed them out of the grocery store, -
to their car, with the knife in hand before repeatedly stabbing the mother and her young son, according to Beck.
While Margot “is expected to make a full recovery,” Beck said her emotional trauma will likely follow her “the rest of her life.”
North Olmsted Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones expressed her condolences on Tuesday.
“This was a terrible tragedy for our entire community. As North Olmsted Mayor, and a mother myself, I cannot fathom what this family must be going through. To lose their youngest child in such a violent and senseless manner is absolutely heartbreaking. I know that all the residents of North Olmsted join me in sharing their profound grief,” Jones said in a statement shared by the City of North Olmsted’s official X account (formerly Twitter).
“We are all terribly sorry for their loss and I ask everyone to keep them in thought and prayer. Our police department continues its on-going investigation of the crime as we attempt to begin healing and moving forward. I commend all our safety forces for their compassion and swift response in the wake of this situation,” she continued.
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According to police, Ellis was walking towards Dover Center Road, still carrying the kitchen knife used in the attack when she was taken into custody without resistance and was transported to the North Olmsted Jail.
Though Ellis had several prior arrests, none before Monday’s arrest had been for violent offenses.
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