Jaquoya Wix, 34, was attacked while on a break from work Sunday, and police arrested a man about 20 minutes later.
DETROIT, MI — The family of 34-year-old Jaquoya Wix is speaking about the mother they lost after she was fatally stabbed while taking a break from work in downtown Detroit, as police continue investigating an attack authorities said involved little or no interaction between Wix and the man now in custody.
Wix’s family identified her after the Sunday afternoon attack near Woodward Avenue and East Congress Street. Detroit police said she was in an alley near the 600 block of Woodward at about 2:30 p.m. when a man approached her. Police said Wix was stabbed, escaped from the alley and reached a nearby business, where she collapsed. Medics took her to a hospital, where she died.
Wix had been working at a Chipotle restaurant on Woodward Avenue and was on a break when the attack occurred, according to family accounts and local reports. Her sister, Alicya Wix, told FOX 2 Detroit that a co-worker called with the news. “Your sister was stabbed, it doesn’t look good,” Alicya recalled being told. She went to the hospital, where she learned her sister had arrived without a pulse.
Police said the man fled after the attack. A worker at another downtown business saw him with a weapon and chased him, but the man got away before officers arrived. Detroit Police Commander Matthew Fulgenzi said investigators then used downtown surveillance cameras and other technology to track the man. Police located a man in his 40s near Woodward Avenue and State Street about 20 minutes after the stabbing and took him into custody.
Investigators said their early review showed little interaction between Wix and the man before the attack. Police were still working to determine a motive. CBS News Detroit reported that the man did not have the suspected weapon when he was arrested, but investigators believed they later recovered it and were processing it as evidence. Authorities had not publicly identified the man or announced criminal charges in the reports available early Monday.
Wix leaves behind a 15-year-old daughter, according to her family. In an online fundraiser created after the killing, Alicya Wix said the family is trying to cover funeral costs while also helping provide for the teenager’s future. She said her sister had been working to improve her circumstances and wanted to be there for her daughter as she moved forward with her life.
The family described Wix’s death as sudden and devastating. Her sister’s public comments focused not only on the violence that ended her life but also on who Wix was to those closest to her. The loss has placed new responsibilities on relatives caring for her daughter, whose father died when she was an infant, according to the family fundraiser.
Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield said in a statement that Wix’s daughter had suffered an “immeasurable loss” and praised Detroit police and downtown security personnel for quickly finding the person taken into custody. Sheffield described the attack, based on information available to the city, as unprovoked. Police initially said there appeared to have been little or no interaction between Wix and the man before the stabbing, while detectives continued working to establish the circumstances and motive.
The case remained under investigation Monday. Police had not released the suspect’s name in the reports reviewed, and no publicly announced charging decision was available. Detectives continued reviewing evidence from the downtown area as Wix’s family prepared to bury her and care for the daughter she leaves behind.
Author note: Last updated September 21, 2026.