Police said the suspect surrendered after officers used pepper ball rounds at the home.
FARMINGTON HILLS, MI — A man was in custody Tuesday after police said he allegedly killed his grandmother during a domestic violence-related assault at a Farmington Hills home near Middlebelt Road.
The woman, described by police as about 78 years old, died at a hospital after officers found her unconscious inside the home. Farmington Hills police said the suspect, her grandson, was taken into custody after briefly barricading himself in a bedroom. Authorities had not released the names of the woman or the suspect by Tuesday evening, and investigators said the motive remained unclear.
Police were called around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday to a home on Gilchrest Street near Middlebelt Road and Northwestern Highway after a caller reported a possible assault in progress. Officers arrived and found the woman inside the house with severe injuries. Farmington Hills Police Chief John Piggott said officers pulled her to safety and began medical care before she was taken to a nearby hospital. “Officers tried to de-escalate the situation and get him to turn himself over and surrender peaceably,” Piggott said. He said those efforts did not work at first.
Police said the grandson barricaded himself in a bedroom after officers arrived. Piggott said officers broke a bedroom window and used pepper ball rounds, which caused the man to feel the effects of the chemical agent. He then surrendered without further force, police said. Authorities said the suspect was not armed when he was taken into custody. Police said another person was inside the home at the time, identified as the suspect’s brother. Investigators did not say whether that person was injured or whether he made the emergency call.
The early investigation pointed to blunt force trauma to the woman’s head, police said. Piggott said an object appeared to have been used in the attack, but authorities had not publicly identified it. The woman was found unconscious in a hallway, according to police accounts. Her death was being investigated as a domestic violence-related homicide. Police said the grandmother lived at the home with two grandsons, including the man taken into custody. Detectives remained at the scene Tuesday as officers blocked parts of the residential area and processed evidence inside and around the house.
The home is in a quiet part of Farmington Hills, an Oakland County suburb northwest of Detroit. The area sits near major roads, including Middlebelt Road, Northwestern Highway and 13 Mile Road. Neighbors told local reporters they were shaken by the police response and the news that the victim had died. One resident said the scene was upsetting because the neighborhood is normally calm. Police did not report any wider danger to the public after the suspect surrendered.
As of Tuesday evening, police had not announced formal charges. The suspect was being processed at the police station while detectives continued interviews and reviewed evidence. Piggott said investigators still hoped to learn what led to the assault. “I don’t know that the suspect has offered to give any statements yet,” he said. The case is expected to be reviewed by prosecutors after police complete the first stage of the investigation. Any charging decision would come through the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office.
Authorities also had not released the victim’s full identity, pending family notifications and the ongoing investigation. Police did not say whether officers had been called to the home before Tuesday or whether there were prior reports involving the suspect. The medical examiner’s findings are expected to help determine the official cause and manner of death. Investigators were also working to confirm the sequence of events inside the home before officers arrived.
The suspect remained in custody Tuesday night while Farmington Hills police continued gathering evidence from the Gilchrest Street home. The next major step is a prosecutor review, which will determine whether charges are filed and what charges the man may face.
Author note: Last updated July 1, 2026.