A man was taken into custody about 20 minutes after Jaquoya Wix was attacked during a break from her downtown job.
DETROIT — Detroit police used surveillance cameras and downtown security resources to locate a suspect about 20 minutes after a 34-year-old woman was fatally stabbed during a break from work Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
The victim, identified as Jaquoya Wix, was attacked around 2:30 p.m. Sept. 20 in an alley near Woodward Avenue and East Congress Street. Police said Wix worked at a nearby Chipotle and had stepped away from the restaurant during a break when she encountered a man in his 40s. Investigators said there appeared to have been little interaction before the attack, leaving the motive unresolved as detectives continued their investigation.
Police said Wix reached a nearby business after the attack and collapsed outside. Medics arrived within about four minutes and transported her to a hospital, where she died. Wix was a mother of a 15-year-old daughter who attends school in Detroit, city officials said.
The man fled through the downtown area after the attack. Police said an employee at another nearby business saw him and followed him for a time before losing track of him. Investigators then turned to the network of cameras and other technology available in the central business district.
Detroit Police Commander Matthew Fulgenzi said officers used downtown camera systems to track the man’s movements after he left the area of the stabbing. Police located a man roughly 20 minutes later near Woodward Avenue and State Street and took him into custody without police reporting another violent encounter.
The arrest left investigators with the task of collecting and reviewing physical evidence. Police said the man did not have the suspected knife with him when officers detained him. Investigators later said they believed the weapon had been recovered and was being processed as part of the case.
Detectives also worked to reconstruct what happened before the attack by reviewing video and speaking with people in the area. Police said available footage showed very little interaction between Wix and the man before she was attacked. Officials had not publicly established that the two knew each other.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said the information available to city officials indicated the attack was unprovoked. Wix’s family also described the killing as random. Police, however, continued to investigate the circumstances and had not announced a confirmed motive as of Monday morning.
The case drew attention not only because of the sudden killing in the downtown business district but also because of the speed with which officers found a suspect after he left the scene. Sheffield credited Detroit police and downtown security partners with helping officers take a suspect into custody quickly.
Wix’s employer said it was cooperating with investigators. Chipotle also expressed condolences to Wix’s relatives, friends and coworkers. Her family has begun raising money for funeral expenses and for the future care and education of her 15-year-old daughter.
The investigation remained active Monday. Authorities had not publicly released the suspect’s name, and the latest reports did not announce formal criminal charges. Detectives continued processing evidence and working to determine what led to the fatal encounter.
Author note: Last updated September 21, 2026.