ROYAL OAK, MI – An elderly man was fatally stabbed in his Royal Oak home, leaving the community and police with unresolved questions. The incident involved an 83-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman, who is now in custody. Witnesses described the suspect as incoherent during the encounter.
The tragic event unfolded on Sheridan Drive, near 14 Mile and Woodward, with a young child present in the home at the time. The victim, remembered as selfless by his family, acted to protect his granddaughter.
David Ong, an 83-year-old man from Bloomfield Hills, whose death has been ruled a homicide. Ong, a respected member of St. Hugo of the Hills Catholic Church, was found with multiple stab wounds at a home on Sheridan Drive.
Police responded late Friday after neighbors reported hearing cries for help. The victim’s daughter was away on a business trip, leaving the toddler in the care of a nanny, who is the alleged suspect.
Ong’s daughter, Kelley Ong Smith, expressed profound grief on social media, stating her father died protecting his three-year-old granddaughter. The loss, she said, is immeasurable.
A neighbor recounted that another family member tried to intervene, jumping a fence to assist. The suspect reportedly reacted violently and later fled, discarding her clothes in a nearby driveway before being apprehended.
Authorities noted the suspect appeared to be speaking incoherently, possibly under the influence of drugs. Formal charges against her are expected soon.
The community is grappling with the loss of a man described as deeply caring, with a life defined by faith and humility. As the investigation continues, residents are left shaken by the violent crime.
The suspect’s motives and mental state remain unclear, with police continuing to gather evidence. The Royal Oak community awaits further developments in this unsettling case.