Columbus police said the attack followed a domestic dispute near Kelton Avenue and Bryden Road.
COLUMBUS, OH — A 32-year-old woman died Saturday after she was stabbed outside on the Near East Side, and a 36-year-old man was arrested at the scene, Columbus police said.
The killing brought a fast police response to the Franklin Park area and left investigators focused on what they described as a domestic relationship between the woman and the suspect. Police identified the woman as Erica Frank and the suspect as Juanito Ackerman. Ackerman was charged with murder and booked into the Franklin County Jail.
Officers were sent at 12:58 p.m. Saturday to the 1500 block of Bryden Road after a report of a stabbing, police said. When they arrived, they found Frank suffering from a stab wound. Police said the stabbing happened outside near the corner of Kelton Avenue and Bryden Road, an area close to Franklin Park. Columbus Fire medics took Frank to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Police said Ackerman was taken into custody without incident at the scene.
Columbus police said several witnesses were at or near the area when the stabbing happened. Investigators said the early evidence showed the attack was tied to a domestic relationship between Frank and Ackerman. Police also said they believe the two were involved in a previous incident the night before. Officials had not released more detail Sunday about that earlier incident, including where it happened, whether police responded to it or whether anyone was hurt.
The case moved quickly from an emergency call to a homicide investigation. Police confirmed Frank’s death after medics transported her from the Bryden Road scene. Ackerman’s arrest at the location meant officers did not announce a search for another suspect. Authorities had not said whether a weapon was recovered, what led up to the stabbing or whether Frank and Ackerman lived together. The relationship between the two remained part of the police investigation.
The stabbing occurred in a busy east Columbus corridor where homes, traffic and neighborhood landmarks sit close together. Bryden Road runs through the Near East Side, and the corner with Kelton Avenue is near Franklin Park. Police said the attack happened outside, placing the violence in public view during the afternoon. The presence of several witnesses could become important as detectives review statements and work to confirm the sequence of events before the stabbing.
Ackerman was charged with murder and booked into the Franklin County Jail, police said. His next court date was set for Monday, April 27. Prosecutors were expected to begin the formal court process after the arrest, while detectives continued gathering witness accounts and other evidence. Police had not announced any additional charges as of Sunday. The Franklin County coroner’s office was expected to handle the final ruling on Frank’s cause and manner of death.
By Sunday, police had released the victim’s name, the suspect’s name and the basic timeline, but many details remained unknown. Officials had not said what started the dispute, how many people saw the stabbing or whether any bystanders tried to intervene. The investigation remained centered on the Bryden Road scene, the alleged domestic connection and the earlier incident police said may have happened the night before.
Ackerman remained in custody ahead of his Monday court date. Columbus police continued investigating Frank’s death as a homicide and had not named any other suspects.
Author note: Last updated April 26, 2026.