NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio — Newly released surveillance video is shedding light on the 30 minutes before an attack that killed a 3-year-old boy and injured his mother in North Olmsted.
The footage shows the suspect, Bionca Ellis, at the city's police station prior to the incident. She can later be seen inside the Giant Eagle just up the road walking around the store with a knife in her hand.
WARNING: While we are not showing the actual stabbing, the video still may be disturbing to watch for some. Viewer discretion is advised.
Around 2:30 p.m., Ellis walked into the North Olmsted Police Department on Lorain Road, pushing her own wheelchair with a suitcase. Authorities say she was there in connection with her arrest the week before that was tied to a previous theft offense.
During that encounter, officers took her into custody, but let her go. That was four days before the incident at Giant Eagle.
After leaving the police station on Monday, Ellis was seen exiting the Volunteers of America Thrift Store, where police claim she stole two knives. After she allegedly stopped at Bins & Things, she went back west to Giant Eagle.
At 2:58 p.m., the video shows Ellis walking past the Giant Eagle service desk with a knife waving in her hand by her side, but no one appears to see it or do anything to stop her. As she walked past the cash registers, she passed Margot Wood and her 3-year-old son Julian (their faces are blurred in the footage, per officials) before immediately turning around and starting to follow them. She continued behind them as they left the store, with cameras displaying her following them through the parking lot.
"Somewhere near their vehicle, Ms. Ellis then attacked the two of them," officials said.
Police have described the stabbing as a "random act of violence." Julian Wood died from his injuries at University Hospitals St. John Medical Center, while 32-year-old Margot suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
A Cuyahoga County grand jury has since indicted Ellis on 10 charges including aggravated murder. She is currently being held on a $1 million bond, with arraignment set for this coming Monday.
Calling hours for Julian Wood are scheduled for Friday at Ripepi Funeral Home in Parma, followed by a Funeral Mass the next day at St. Charles Borromeo Church. A GoFundMe for the family has already raised more than $200,000, and the community is planning a special "memory line" in Julian's honor following the funeral this weekend.