ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Neighbors said they are shaken and heartbroken after a brutal stabbing in Royal Oak that left an 83-year-old grandfather dead while checking on his granddaughter Friday night. The alleged suspect is the toddler’s nanny.
Police said the attack happened around 9:30 p.m. Oct. 24 on Sheridan Drive near Woodward Avenue.
Officers responding to reports of a man calling for help found a 35-year-old woman with blood on her hands outside the home. She tried to run but was caught after a short chase.
Inside the home, officers discovered David Ong, 83, unresponsive in the basement with multiple stab wounds. Despite lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Several neighbors told Local 4 the suspect had been working as a nanny for the family.
“Mom was out of town on a business trip. I understand,” one neighbor said. “It was a disturbing, horrible crime.”
“We were very worried about that little girl,” another added. When asked why, the neighbor said, “Because she was home with that woman.”
Neighbors described the incident as “horrible from start to finish.” One resident said screams were heard before describing another family member and neighbor running to help.
“He jumped the fence and did what he could to help,” the neighbor said. “And the woman came running at all of them — so he experienced her wrath as well.”
According to witnesses, after the stabbing, the woman began stripping off her clothes and running through nearby yards as police closed in.
“She raced across the island down there, and I think she fell at some point. Her clothes were found in a neighbor’s driveway two doors down,” one neighbor said.
Police said after a short chase, they were able to arrest her nearby. Police said they are also investigating whether drugs played a role in the attack.
“She was not coherent,” another neighbor said. “She was speaking, but gibberish. I’m glad the mother and daughter are safe — but that poor man.”
Ong’s family has called him a devoted father and grandfather whose life centered around his children and grandchildren.
“[His] last selfless act to save his granddaughter tells you all you need to know about him,” his family wrote in his obituary. “He was a truly remarkable man who loved his family more than anything in the world and would do anything for them.”
The family added that Ong “believed deeply in education and proudly supported his four children through many years of Catholic school and college. His favorite hobby was his family. He never missed an event — from soccer games to dance recitals, piano and guitar performances, graduations, weddings, births and birthdays.”
The 35-year-old suspect remains in custody at the Royal Oak Police Department. The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said the case is under review and formal charges are expected Tuesday, October 28, 2025.