Wyandotte woman fatally shot in her home; Flock cameras traced suspect, her son, to Toledo, police say
A 67-year-old woman was shot to death inside her Wyandotte, Michigan, home over the weekend. License plate reader cameras in two states traced her missing car to Toledo, Ohio, where her 41-year-old son died early Sunday as an officer moved to arrest him, police said.
Officers found the woman about 3:15 a.m. Sunday at a house on Sixth Street. She had been shot multiple times.
Her car was gone. Investigators checked Wyandotte's Flock license plate reader system and found it had traveled west on Goddard Road, away from the house, on Saturday evening.
The man's phone appeared to be powered off, but the cameras kept picking up the car. It turned up in Toledo, then, about 10 a.m. Sunday, headed north, back toward Michigan, police said.
A Toledo Police Department officer spotted the car just south of the state line and alerted Michigan authorities, who were waiting to make an arrest once it crossed. The driver saw the Toledo officer and pulled into a parking lot. As the officer moved in, police said, the man shot himself. He died at the scene.
Detectives have since matched the gun to shell casings found at the Wyandotte scene.
In a release detailing the investigation, Wyandotte police said officers had been to the house once already that night. The woman called 911 at 6:20 p.m. Saturday to report an altercation with a man she identified as her son. Officers responded and found the house quiet, with the shades drawn. Nobody answered the door.
"The officers did not have legal grounds to force entry into the home. Our dispatch center attempted to contact the caller by phone multiple times to no avail," Wyandotte Police Chief Archie Hamilton said.
Officers cleared the call. Hours later, the department received new information that sent them back to the house.
Police believe the woman was killed around the time of the 911 call. They are not releasing either name, citing respect for the family. Anyone with information is asked to call Wyandotte police at 734-324-4405.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or suicidal crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.
