COLUMBUS, Ohio — Authorities charged a man suspected of fatally stabbing a 77-year-old woman near Ohio State University on Saturday.
The Columbus Division of Police identified 28-year-old Michael Brooks as the suspect in Emily Foster's death. Brooks was released from jail one day prior to the stabbing, police said.
According to Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Jaiza Page, Brooks pleaded guilty to two counts of felony fleeing and was later released on a $10,000 reporting recognizance bond on Sept. 8 pending his sentencing. The recognizance bond means that he could be released without having to post bond so long as he appears for his court hearing.
On Sept. 9, Columbus police officers were dispatched to a home on Iuka Avenue in the University District just before 3:56 p.m.
A neighbor called 911 saying she heard Foster on the phone asking for help, then the neighbor found Foster dead in her condo.
Using cameras, police were able to locate a photo of the suspect, identified as Brooks, riding a bicycle in the area. He was charged on Sept. 13 with murder.
Police say, while investigating the whereabouts of Brooks following Foster’s death, they linked him to a stolen vehicle that was found near Dayton.
They then received a notification from the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia that on Thursday just before 2 a.m. a home break-in occurred and Brooks had been taken into custody and hospitalized.
Columbus Police Deputy Chief Smith Weir said that they were informed that a homeowner contacted the sheriff’s office in Georgia saying that they shot a home intruder, later discovered to be Brooks.
Brooks was taken to a hospital and is under the guard of law enforcement. He faces burglary charges in Georgia and will eventually be extradited to Ohio.
Police said an arrest warrant for murder will be served once he is released from medical care.
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