A woman arrested after a 3-year-old was stabbed to death in front of his mother at a grocery store has been found incompetent to stand trial.
Police said that video from a shopping center showed 32-year-old Bionca Ellis of Cleveland stalking a mother and her toddler son inside of the Giant Eagle grocery store in North Olmstead in June. After following them into the parking lot, Ellis allegedly began stabbing the child and the mother in what police called a completely random attack.
‘Bionca has been on several medications that did not work out for her.’
Ellis was indicted in June on a slew of charges, including aggravated murder, attempted murder, felonious assault, and endangering children.
During a 20-day evaluation, a doctor determined that Ellis was incompetent to stand trial, according to documents from the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.
The doctor said that she had “a substantial probability of restoration to competency within the statutory time frame if provided with a course of treatment.”
Ellis will undergo treatment at North Coast Behavioral Health for a statutory time of one year before being placed back into the custody of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office. She could face trial if she is restored to competency through treatment.
Officials were criticized for failures to treat Ellis’ alleged mental illness just days before the lethal attack.
A judge had ordered Ellis to receive a psychiatric evaluation after she was accused of violating probation in relation to stolen merchandise from a Walmart last year.
“I’m not sure she fully understands the simple requirements the court has imposed on her,” said Magistrate Gregory Sponseller of the Rocky River Municipal Court in June.
However, Ellis was released because a mental health professional was unavailable at the time.
Days later, Ellis allegedly stabbed the toddler to death.
The suspect had many other brushes with law enforcement in other states, and her mother has said that the system failed her daughter.
“Bionca has been on several medications that did not work out for her. The hallucinations and the voices just got the best of her,” said Yolanda Eggleton.
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Bionca ellis murder, Bionca ellis incompetent for trial, Killer of 3 year old child, Giant eagle toddler stabbing, Crime
