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Inset: Sydney Emmanuel Davis Jr. (Shelby Township Police Department). Background: The Meijer gas station where Davis allegedly killed his estranged wife (WDIV).
A 25-year-old man in Michigan has been arrested and accused of killing his estranged wife, allegedly stabbing her multiple times at a gas station during a custody exchange meeting.
Sydney Emmanuel Davis Jr. was taken into custody earlier this week and charged with one count of first-degree premeditated murder in the slaying of 23-year-old Fatme Davis, authorities announced.
“The allegations in this case are both shocking and deeply disturbing,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido said in a statement. “A young mother was allegedly killed at the hands of her estranged husband, while their child sat waiting in the car. Our office is committed to pursuing this case to the fullest extent of the law to ensure justice is served.”
According to news releases from the prosecutor”s office and the Shelby Township Police Department, Sydney and Fatme Davis met on Sept. 21 inside a Meijer gas station in the 15000 block of Hall Road in Shelby Township, which is about 20 miles north of Detroit. At some point during the meeting, authorities allege that Sydney Davis “beat and repeatedly stabbed” the mother of his child.
The couple’s child was in Fatme Davis’ car when the fatal attack took place. The child’s age and gender were not disclosed by authorities.
Police responded to the gas station at about 5 p.m. after receiving reports of an adult female, later identified as Fatme Davis, being attacked. Officers and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, finding the victim inside the establishment and immediately rushing her to a local hospital. The mother succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the facility.
Numerous witnesses were also present at the scene, with several calling 911 to report the attack, the Macomb Daily reported. Multiple people provided descriptions of the attacker that matched Sydney Davis, who they said fled after stabbing the victim.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the incident “stemmed from a domestic violence dispute” as opposed to a random act of violence.
Authorities said that a “short time” after the stabbing, they were able to locate Sydney Davis in Armada, Michigan, which is about 20 miles northeast of where the attack took place. He was then taken into custody.
Davis appeared for his arraignment Wednesday before Magistrate Judge Jim Verploeg, who denied the defendant bond. Davis is currently being held in the Macomb County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in court again for a preliminary exam hearing on Oct. 14.
“This despicable act of violence against this mother, is a stark reminder of the scourge of domestic violence,” Shelby Township Police Chief Robert J. Shelide said in a statement. “As a community, we must stand united against such cowardice. The Shelby Township Police Department condemns this heinous act in the strongest terms and is committed to ensuring justice for the victim.”