An elderly woman was found fatally stabbed in her home in the affluent Atlanta neighborhood of Buckhead Saturday, according to the Atlanta Police Department (APD).
Eleanor Bowles, 77, was discovered by her son with multiple wounds in her home garage at around 5:30 p.m. on Paces West Terrace. The son had come home to visit Bowles for the holiday season, APD Deputy Chief Charles Hampton said at a press conference Sunday.
“This is not a way that a family should have to spend their holiday season, mourning and grieving the death of a loved one,” Hampton said.
Police later identified Antonio Brown, 23, as the suspect who allegedly broke into the gated community and killed Bowles. He was arrested Monday night and is being held in a Fulton County Jail.
At some point between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Brown allegedly was in the process of stealing Bowles’s 2021 Lexus RS350 when it is believed she interrupted him. He then stabbed Bowles several times before taking off with the vehicle.
The SUV is believed to have been driven around Atlanta before it was discovered in DeKalb County Saturday night. It is unknown how Brown broke into the gated community, police say.
The APD released a person of interest photo Sunday. A resident later spotted the suspect and called the police, which led to the arrest of Brown, according to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
Homicide: 6 Paces West Terrace NW (Zone 2)
Press Conference-Deputy Chief Charles Hampton Jr & Homicide Commander Lt Germain Dearlove https://t.co/858YauraQK
Photos of Person of Interest are available below. If you have any info call Crime Stoppers 404-577-TIPS Reward= $10k pic.twitter.com/GK0snOq9qR— Atlanta Police Department (@Atlanta_Police) December 11, 2022
The 23-year-old man has since been charged with murder, aggravated battery, elder abuse, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, and hijacking a motor vehicle.
Police say they are aware that local businesses are claiming to have had prior incidents with Brown but noted the investigation is still ongoing.
Brown’s arrest was announced at a press conference Monday night, where city officials also announced the arrest of a 16-year-old accused of murdering a 15-year-old and a 12-year-old.
Bowles’s family and friends have organized a GoFundMe page with all money raised going to the Atlanta Humane Society & Society For Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Georgia, an organization she loved.
“She was a kind, precious, funny, loving mother, grandmother, and friend — and so much more,” page organizer Alyssa Pettus wrote. “It is unbelievable that crimes like this continue to happen in Atlanta, and it must stop.”
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.
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