A Wayne County judge ordered a competency evaluation Wednesday for the 42-year-old man charged with fatally stabbing a Chipotle worker in a downtown Detroit alley, delaying the criminal case while doctors assess whether he can understand the proceedings against him. Devon Watson did not appear in person for the probable cause hearing in the 36th District Court, where opposing lawyers instead appeared by video conference on a screen in the courtroom.
A judge ordered an evaluation in the case, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Watson is charged with first-degree premeditated murder in the September 20 death of 34-year-old Jaquoya Wix, who was on break from her job at the Chipotle on Woodward Avenue when officials say Watson attacked her with a knife in the alley behind the restaurant. Wix's family described the attack as random, while Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield called it unprovoked, as ClickOnDetroit reported.
How Watson Slipped Off the Court's Radar
Watson was hospitalized under a court order in July after medical professionals determined he was in acute psychosis and suffering from schizoaffective disorder. He was released from that hospitalization in August, and it's that gap between his discharge and the September attack that has drawn the most scrutiny. Per a WXYZ-TV report, Wayne County Probate Court was never sent the required treatment plan paperwork from Watson's assigned provider, Central City Health, which meant the court had no way to monitor his compliance with a 180-day Assisted Outpatient Treatment order.
Investigators reviewed social media video recorded months before the attack that shows a passerby giving Watson cash while he was unhoused outside a Detroit 7-Eleven, showing he was in the city well before the stabbing.
The Attack and the Bystanders Who Responded
Wix collapsed outside a business neighboring the Chipotle after the stabbing, and employees at a nearby pub rushed to administer emergency first aid while a worker from another adjacent business chased the fleeing suspect on foot, relaying updates to 911 operators the entire time, according to ClickOnDetroit. Detroit police caught up with Watson roughly 20 minutes after the attack near Woodward Avenue and State Street, and investigators later recovered the suspected murder weapon, per CBS News.
Wix lived in St. Clair Shores and commuted daily into Detroit on public transit for her Chipotle job. She is survived by a 15-year-old daughter. A GoFundMe campaign set up by Wix's family was intended to cover funeral costs and support her daughter, ClickOnDetroit reported.
Downtown Residents React
Downtown residents expressed fear and shock after the killing, FOX 2 Detroit reported.
The evaluation will shape what happens next in Watson's case.
