Detroit officials are set to speak Thursday afternoon following the stabbing death of a Chipotle worker in Downtown Detroit over the weekend.
Watch the press conference live at 1 p.m. here
Devon Jason Watson, 42, faces one count of premeditated first-degree murder in the stabbing death of Jaquoya Wix, a 34-year-old Chipotle employee and mother who was killed last Sunday behind a downtown Detroit restaurant. He was charged Wednesday.
Watch Ruta Ulcinaite's report in the video player below:
Watson appeared before a magistrate Wednesday. Wix was taking a break in an alleyway near the restaurant when the attack occurred in broad daylight. The attack may have been captured in its entirety on video, according to information revealed in court.
"I'm overwhelmed with love, and it's so amazing people can honor her this way," Alicya Wix, Jaquoya's sister, said.
"It's so overwhelming; it's so many people. More than I could have ever imagined for my sister. I'm so happy people came out for her and really showed their respect," Alicya said.
Those who knew Jaquoya remembered her as someone who showed up — for the people she loved and for her work.
"Just remember her as a very loving person. She would do anything for anybody," Anna Solis, Jaquoya's aunt, said.
"She took the bus from St. Clair Shores all the way here to go to work every day no matter what," Solis said.
Alicya remembered her sister's spirit and resilience.
"She was a great person. She was very silly. She made some dumb mistakes like we all do but she always got back up no matter what it was. She always got back up," Alicya said.
Watson was hospitalized for serious mental illness in July but was released weeks before the attack. When asked about Watson's mental health history, Worthy said more should come out during future court proceedings.
Wayne County Probate Court officials say they were never notified that Watson was supposed to be receiving mental health treatment following an August hospital discharge, meaning they could not track his progress or take action if he’d gotten worse.
Watch below: Before stabbing, court 'kept in the dark' over Chipotle murder suspect's mental health
“This notification is the vehicle we have to make sure that people have warm handoffs from one agency to the next,” said retired Wayne County Probate Judge Milton Mack, who reviewed Watson’s public probate file. “We’re really the only entity that can track that.”
Gail Marlow, founder of Motor City Mitten Mission, a homeless outreach organization, said she first met Watson during COVID and saw him regularly on the streets of downtown Detroit and Corktown. She said interactions were brief and he always declined help for housing and resources. She knew him as both Devon and Jason, and said he would introduce himself using both names.
"He was quiet, he never, other than asking for food and a cigarette or a blanket, there really wasn't much conversation there," Marlow said.
Marlow said she and her team could sense Watson struggled with mental health, but nothing in his behavior signaled he was a danger.
"We knew that there was mental health issues there, but nothing that was showing he was a danger to us or anyone else that would cause us to contact a crisis center or DPD or anything like that," Marlow said.
