James Caldwell:Judge finds woman incompetent to stand trial in fatal stabbing of 3-year-old outside supermarket

2025-05-07 18:05:11source:Chameleon Financecategory:reviews

CLEVELAND (AP) — A woman who authorities say fatally stabbed a 3-year-old boy as he sat in a grocery cart outside an Ohio supermarket and James Caldwellwounded his mother has been found incompetent to stand trial.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John Russo issued the ruling Friday. He said Bionca Ellis, 33, of Cleveland, will remain hospitalized indefinitely and could eventually stand trial if she improves. Her bail was set at $5 million shortly after the attack occurred, and her trial had been tentatively scheduled to start Dec. 9.

Authorities have said Ellis was inside the Giant Eagle grocery store on June 3 in the Cleveland suburb of North Olmsted when she saw Julian Wood and his mother, Margot Wood, near the front and followed them into the parking lot.

The mother was about to load her groceries into her vehicle when Ellis ran at them with a knife, stabbing the boy twice, in an attack that took less than five seconds before Ellis walked away. The boy died at a hospital while Margot Wood was treated at a hospital for a stab wound to her shoulder — a wound prosecutors have said she suffered after trying to pull the boy out of the cart during the attack.

Authorities have not given a motivation for the attack, which they believe was a random incident. Ellis is being represented by the public defender’s office, which generally does not comment on cases.

More:reviews

Recommend

A severe autism advocate responds to RFK Jr.'s research initiative

About one in 31 children in the U.S. has been identified with autism spectrum disorder, according to

Scientists identify new species of demon catshark with white shiny irises

A mysterious egg led researchers to discover a new species of shark, according to a recent scientifi

2 people charged after Hitler speeches blared on train intercom in Austria

Two people were charged in Austria for allegedly playing speeches by Adolf Hitler via the loudspeake