Giant Eagle murder suspect ordered to take meds

(WJW) – A woman accused of randomly attacking and killing a toddler outside of a local Giant Eagle this summer appeared in court Tuesday morning.

The hearing in front of Judge John Russo came just about a week after the FOX 8 I-TEAM reported that Bionca Ellis was ruled incompetent to stand trial.

In June, police arrested Ellis for attacking 3-year-old Julian Wood and his mother outside a grocery store in North Olmsted. Police said Ellis stabbed the child to death.

A recent Cuyahoga County Court docket shows that Ellis was referred to North Coast Behavioral Health for a 20-day evaluation and ordered to stay in the mental health facility.

In court on Tuesday, the judge ruled that Ellis continue treatment at North Coast Behavioral Health. It was ordered that if she does not voluntarily take her medications at the facility, she will be forced.

Ellis was permitted to appear for the hearing via Zoom.

The I-Team reports that courts provide time for suspects ruled incompetent to undergo treatment toward becoming fit to stand trial.

In June, the I-TEAM revealed Ellis had been released from jail without a psych exam, just days before the murder, even though a magistrate had recommended a mental health evaluation. The I-TEAM found that Rocky River Judge Brian Hagan released Ellis on a probation violation without a mental health exam.

Recently, a video released to the I-TEAM shows Ellis talking about committing murder long before police said she killed the toddler. The video comes from an encounter Cleveland Police had with Ellis back in February at a women’s shelter. Police responded to a call for a disturbance involving Ellis. They found her wearing a pink outfit with glasses shaped like hearts.

She told Cleveland Police she had killed people in California. But, police body camera video shows she made vague claims that didn’t make sense. While police in California did not believe Ellis was tied to any homicides, she is facing charges for assaulting staff at a hospital there.

After that call, local police took Ellis for a mental health check.

Her mother has told the I-Team of mental health issues going back a long time.

For now, it’s not clear when, or if, she may stand trial.

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