A shocking incident unfolded in Ohio when a woman, with no previous record of violent crime, fatally stabbed a three-year-old boy in an unprovoked attack outside a grocery store, according to North Olmsted police. The incident occurred on a Monday afternoon and was described as a random act of violence.
The assailant was identified as Bionca Ellis, a 32-year-old woman from Cleveland. Detective Sergeant Matthew Beck informed the press that Ellis had procured a kitchen knife from a thrift store run by the Volunteers of America around 3 p.m. She then proceeded to the Giant Eagle grocery store where she spotted Margot Wood, 38, and her son Julian Wood, both residents of North Olmsted.
Ellis is alleged to have followed the mother and son outside the store, where she attacked the young boy, stabbing him in the head and back, and also injuring the mother on her shoulder. First aid was promptly provided by the police to both victims before they were transported to St. John Medical Center via ambulance. Unfortunately, Julian Wood was declared dead at the hospital.
The police were able to locate and identify Ellis, who was still in possession of the kitchen knife, walking towards Dover Center Road. She was apprehended without any resistance and subsequently charged with aggravated murder. Detective Beck clarified that there had been no prior interaction between Ellis and the victims before the attack, which he reiterated was a random act of violence. The entire incident lasted approximately five seconds.
Images from the crime scene depicted an overturned grocery cart and scattered items on the parking lot pavement. Margot Wood is expected to recover from her non-life-threatening injuries. Ellis’s bond was set at $1 million, and additional charges are anticipated once the case is presented to a Cuyahoga County Grand Jury.
While Ellis had no history of violent crimes, she had been arrested and convicted for theft from a Walmart in Florida in May. North Olmsted Mayor Nicole Dailey Jones expressed her condolences to the bereaved family, stating, “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.”
She urged the community to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers, while assuring that the police department’s investigation into the crime is ongoing. The grocery store was previously the scene of a murder-suicide involving a divorced couple less than a year ago.