A 77-year-old grandmother was found stabbed to death Saturday inside her own garage in a gated community.
Her son discovered Eleanor Bowles dead around 5:30 p.m. after Antonio Brown, 23, allegedly stabbed her outside her Buckhead home after a botched carjacking.
According to police, Brown broke into Bowles’ garage around 11:30 a.m. He was attempting to steal her Lexus RS350 when she interrupted him.
Police have accused him of stabbing her multiple times and then driving off in her car. It was tracked and recovered by police in DeKalb County on Saturday night.
It’s unclear how Brown gained access to the gated community.
Bowles’ son was coming to visit his mother over the holidays when he discovered her bloody, lifeless body in the garage of the house on Paces West Terrace. She was pronounced dead on the scene by police.
“The son came home to visit his mom for the holidays…,” Atlanta Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr. said at a press conference. “This is not a way that a family should have to spend their holiday season, mourning and grieving a death of a loved one.”
Among the charges, Brown faces are murder, aggravated battery, possession of a knife, elder abuse, and hijacking a vehicle. Upon his arrest, he was booked into Fulton County jail.
According to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, someone recognized Brown from the photo of a person of interest that was publicized by officials and called the police, resulting in Brown’s arrest.
“The killing of Ms. Bowles is understandably rocking our community. My heart aches for these family members,” Dickens said at a press conference announcing Brown’s arrest.
As part of the announcement, he also announced the arrest of a third suspect in the disappearance and murder of a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old last month.
“I share our community’s outrage and heartbreak,” Dickens said in response to the recent tragedies. “Let me be very clear to those who want to do harm in our community, who want to perpetrate these crimes — if you pull a gun or pull out a knife in our city to hurt, harm or kill someone, you will be arrested and sent to jail.”