CLEVELAND — The woman accused of fatally stabbing a 3-year-old boy in a North Olmsted Giant Eagle parking lot appeared in court Monday morning for her final pretrial hearing.
You can watch the hearing below:
During that hearing, the defense requested that the jury be sequestered during the trial.
A decision is expected to be made before the trial begins.
Bionca Ellis was indicted by a Cuyahoga County Grand Jury last year and charged with aggravated murder, two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault, two counts of attempted murder, tampering with evidence and aggravated theft for the June 3, 2024, attack that killed the toddler Julian Wood and left his mother injured.
RELATED: Suspect in 3-year-old's stabbing at North Olmsted grocery store parking lot indicted
She’s been held in jail on a $5 million bond since her arrest.
Ellis's mental health has been the focus of multiple hearings.
RELATED: Arraignment took three attempts as Ellis refused to cooperate
In August, she pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
The attack
According to North Olmsted Police Detective Sgt. Matt Beck, Ellis was at the Volunteers of America store, which is a thrift shop adjacent to the grocery store, on June 3, 2024, where she obtained some sort of kitchen knife.
RELATED: North Olmsted toddler stabbing suspect visited police station, several stores before fatal attack
Beck described what happened during a news conference on the day the child was stabbed.
Watch:
Ellis left the store, walked over to Giant Eagle, located in the 27000 block of Lorain Road, just after 3 p.m., and approached the 38-year-old mother, who was pushing Julian in a grocery cart as they were nearing their vehicle. Ellis allegedly stabbed the woman and Julian multiple times and walked off. The entire attack unfolded quickly, Beck said.
The city's police department is right across Lorain Road, and multiple officers responded to the parking lot after the department was inundated with 911 calls about the stabbing. Officers tracked Ellis down nearby and took her into custody without resistance. The suspected weapon was found next to Ellis when she was arrested.
The mother and Julian were taken to a nearby hospital. Julian later died from his injuries.
Officials said the motive behind the attack was unknown, and it appears it was a random act of violence. Ellis and the victims had no prior interactions, according to police.
Police said Ellis was known to the North Olmsted Police due to a 2023 shoplifting incident at a Walmart in the city.
Up until that point, her previous crimes, locally, never included a history of violence. However, court records show that she had a run-in with law enforcement in California and was arrested for punching and kicking security guards at a hospital.
Watch:
RELATED: Suspect in North Olmsted toddler stabbing death had run-in with police in California
Julian’s parents later filed a lawsuit against Giant Eagle, seeking to hold them accountable, stating that the boy’s death was preventable, and highlighted a pattern of violent incidents at Giant Eagle stores across Ohio, including the same one where the boy was stabbed, as twelve months prior, there was a homicide suicide at the same location.
Watch more about the lawsuit below:
RELATED: Parents of 3-year-old stabbed outside Giant Eagle suing grocery chain
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to support the family. CLICK HERE for more information.
