DETROIT, MI - A mom in her thirties was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack while she was on her lunch break from a downtown Detroit Chipotle.
The woman, identified as 34-year-old Jaquoya Wix, was killed Sunday afternoon, September 20, after a man in his forties approached her in an alley near the restaurant and repeatedly stabbed her, Law & Crime reported. Police have yet to identify the man arrested in connection with the unprovoked attack.
In a press release, Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said that Wix was "taking a break" from her job at the Chipotle in the 600 block of Woodward Avenue when "an individual suffering from severe mental health issues" targeted her in "an unprovoked attack."
The alleged suspect was wielding a knife when he approached Wix at about 2:30 p.m. in the alley behind the restaurant and stabbed her repeatedly, police said. Wix was reportedly able to run to a nearby business where she collapsed. Emergency medical personnel responded to the area and transported the victim to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
"She was a mother with a 15-year-old daughter who attends school in Detroit, who loved her and has suffered the immeasurable loss of her mom," the mayor said in a statement.
The alleged suspect fled on foot, still carrying the knife. Police used footage from surveillance cameras in the area to locate the suspect about 20 minutes after the attack. He was arrested without further incident. Authorities have not formally announced what charges he is facing.
Wix's sister, Alicya Wix, created a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her sister's funeral expenses and support Wix's daughter.
"Her passing was sudden and devastating, and our family is now facing the pain of laying her to rest while also trying to protect her daughter, Kacya's future," the page states. "Kacya has already lost so much. Her father passed away when she was a baby, and she has been living with her grandma. My sister had been working hard to get her life together and was trying so hard to get on the right path. She did not get the chance to keep moving forward or to be there for her daughter the way she was working toward."
A spokesperson for Chipotle released a statement saying they were "cooperating fully" with investigators and "hope the individual responsible is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
"We are deeply saddened by the senseless act of violence that occurred today in downtown Detroit," Laurie Schalow, the company's chief corporate affairs and food safety officer, said. "Our thoughts are with the family and friends of those affected, as well as our Woodward Avenue restaurant team, during this incredibly difficult time."
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