DETROIT – The man accused of stabbing a woman to death in a random attack in downtown Detroit on Sunday was arraigned in court.
Devon Jason Watson was charged with first-degree murder.
Jaquoya Wix, 34, was stabbed to death in an alley near Woodward Avenue and E Congress Street on Sept. 20 at around 2:30 p.m. Wix was working a regular shift at Chipotle on Sunday when she was attacked.
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The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said Watson approached Jaquoya while she was sitting in an alley on break from work and stabbed her multiple times with a knife before running away. Watson and Jaquoya did not know each other.
Officers used surveillance cameras to track Watson to the area of Woodward Avenue and State Street, where officers took him into custody.
“The alleged actions of this defendant appear to be random, but we are confident that we will be able to sustain the charge of First-Degree Premeditated Murder in a court of law. We will work hard to bring justice to Jaquoya and hold him accountable for her death,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy in a statement Wednesday.
Watson was arraigned in court via Zoom on Sept. 23 and was denied bond.
According to the arraigning judge, Watson was previously convicted of assault charges in Wayne County in 2010 and in Louisiana in 2024.
He is expected to return to court on Sept. 30 for a probable cause conference.
