Woman Accused of Stabbing Boy in Pushchair Outside Supermarket Grins in Court Shocking Onlookers
A woman accused of fatally stabbing a three-year-old boy in his pushchair and injuring his mother outside an Ohio supermarket has been declared unfit to stand trial. Judge John Russo of Cuyahoga County Common Pleas ruled on Friday that 33-year-old Bionca Ellis, from Cleveland, will remain in a hospital indefinitely. However, she could face trial in the future if her condition improves. Ellis, who had her bail set at $5 million following the attack, was initially scheduled to stand trial on December 9.
The tragic incident occurred on June 3 when Ellis, while inside the Giant Eagle grocery store in North Olmsted, spotted three-year-old Julian Wood and his mother, Margot Wood, near the entrance. She followed them outside to the car park, where the assault took place.
As Margot was loading groceries into her car, Ellis allegedly approached and stabbed the toddler twice in an attack that lasted less than five seconds. She then calmly walked away. Julian was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, while his mother was treated for a stab wound to her shoulder, which she sustained while trying to save her son.
Authorities believe the attack was random, but the motive remains unclear. Ellis is being represented by a public defender, and the defense team has not commented on the case, reports The Mirror US. This was not Ellis’ first encounter with law enforcement. Chilling body cam footage, released by FOX 8 I-Team, shows that months before the Ohio incident, Ellis had a run-in with police in Florida.
She was caught trespassing at a hotel and, in a strange twist, expressed a desire to be arrested. “You need to leave the property,” an officer told her, to which Ellis replied, “What about getting arrested?” She admitted to the officers that she had nowhere else to go due to the cold weather.
Surveillance footage from the Giant Eagle supermarket on the day of the attack captured Ellis nervously pacing outside before entering the store at 2:58 p.m. and brandishing a knife. Both Julian and Margot were quickly taken to the hospital by paramedics, but sadly, the young boy did not survive.
Police reports indicate that Julian suffered stab wounds to his back and cheek, while his mother is recovering from her non-life-threatening injuries. The community continues to mourn the loss of the young boy as the legal case remains on hold due to Ellis’ mental state.