Questions remain in Chesterfield murder • Dangerous new drug on streets • Gas prices spike back up
MONDAY NEWS HIT - Many questions remain following the horrific assault of a family in Chesterfield Township last week that left one dead and four others with injuries.
A 10-year-old boy remains in critical condition while his 5-year-old sister is doing better, an update from the family announced over the weekend. The updated status of their 35-year-old mom is unknown after she was stabbed multiple times.
The suspect, who was found in the basement of the house with self-inflicted injuries appeared to be overdosing at the time authorities located him. He was brought back with narcan and was taken to the hospital where he is now in stable condition.
The lone victim who died shocked the local and regional market when it was discovered he was WWJ 950 journalist Jim Matthews. His death has continued to ripple through the community.
"He was very passionate about his kids, took care of his kids, a family man, he was just an awesome person," said Joseph Nicolai, Jim's brother.
Nicolai didn't know why the suspect was at the home Friday morning. "I have no idea why he was there, what he was doing there or what business he had doing there," he said. Authorities say the 54-year-old suspect was frequently at the home and was known to the family.
The attack shook Matthews' colleagues at WWJ, their voices shaky when they delivered the news over air. "We are updating our top story this afternoon," reported Jackie Paige. "It’s very difficult to report. Our overnight news anchor Jim Matthews was killed this afternoon in Chesterfield Township."
RELATED: 'A family man' WWJ anchor killed, his girlfriend & 2 kids injured in Chesterfield attack
An aunt started a gofundme for the family over the weekend, asking for help for the kids.
"My niece is doing well, but my nephew is in critical condition," her post read. "Last night he was forced to undergo brain surgery and ear surgery. He has come through both successfully. He is still currently sedated and is staying in the Pediatric ICU."
Gas prices rebound in Michigan, climb 13 cents
Michigan's falling gas price honeymoon appears to be over after costs rose 13 cents over the past week. Drivers are now paying $3.94 a gallon for regular unleaded fuel. It's a 7-cent increase from where prices were last month.
Motorists are also paying on average $4 a gallon in Metro Detroit. The cheapest gas was in Traverse City at $3.84. The fluctuating gas prices now moving through the oil market are due to tighter supply as maintenance work at refineries across the country disrupted access. That's despite damned falling.
Gas had fallen for 98 consecutive days in the country before the upturn in prices. Energy prices have swung wildly across the world following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which led to embargoes against Russia and oil it had to sell.
"Michigan motorists are paying more at the pump this week, with some metro areas seeing prices above $4 a gallon," said Adrienne Woodland, spokesperson, AAA-The Auto Club Group.
New street drug Xylazine most hospitals can't test for, or treat say doctors
There are concerns about a new street drug called Xylazine which isn't even made for humans, but animals. And now the fight is becoming more prevalent in Michigan. "We’re seeing increase in cases with associated deaths, associated with Xylazine," said Dr. Varun Vohra, adding it has found its way into street drugs.
"Xylazine is a harmful drug when used inappropriately," said Dr. Gjon Dushaj. "It’s not approved for human use and that’s not something that we should be taking. It’s used as a muscle relaxer in horses and other animals."
Medical experts believe Xylazine is being added to counterfeit drugs and many users are unaware. Doctors say although the consequences are typically deadly, some do survive. "They either go comatose or unconscious non-responsive," said Vohra, the director of the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center.
Xylazine is so powerful it can also eat a person’s flesh. If a person is rushed to the ER after consuming Xylazine, most hospitals can’t test for it - nor can they treat it. "Drugs like Xylazine, they don’t necessarily respond to Narcan," Dushaj said. "So when you think someone should respond to Narcan and they're not, that heightens our awareness that something else is possibly on board."
Here's what the state of Michigan is doing about the harmful new drug.
Sterling Heights man accidentally shot and killed brother, family says
Sterling Heights Police are still investigating a fatal shooting involving two brothers. The shooting happened Saturday evening at the Sterling Estates, located in the area of Utica and Van Dyke Ave. Authorities are not releasing much information, but FOX 2 spoke with another brother about the tragedy.
He says two of his brothers — ages 26 and 17 — were in a back bedroom when suddenly another brother — who is 16 — heard a single gunshot. The brother who spoke to FOX 2 and the 16-year-old ran out of the mobile home and called 911. When police arrived, the older brother, who was identified as Brandon, was found dead.
While authorities investigate all possible scenarios, the family member we spoke with says it was an accident. He says they all got along well and were even seen laughing and joking around before the shooting. The gun was kept in the home for protection. Police say the shooting happened during a domestic situation but did not go into details.
The 17-year-old brother, who was in the same room as the older brother at the time of the shooting, is in police custody pending the investigation. 26-year-old Brandon became the legal guardian of the younger brothers after their parents passed away. Brandon had no insurance or savings for a memorial service.
Find the gofundme in the story here.
Drunk driver in fatal crash that killed dispatcher to be sentenced
A man charged in the fatal car crash that killed a 911 worker will be sentenced in court Monday. Dale Good pled guilty to reduced charges of reckless driving causing death while having the homicide and DUI charges dismissed.
Good's plea deal was accepted on June 29, and he's expected to be in 3rd Circuit Court for his sentencing later today. The Westland man was taken into custody in 2019 after he drove the wrong way on the highway and killed a woman.
The victim, a 911 dispatcher for the Detroit Regional Command Center, died in December when her BMW was struck by a pickup truck. Good had blown a .22 BAC after the crash - more than three times the legal limit.
After it took too long for charges to be filed, the victim's family hired Attorney Geoffrey Fieger to help with the case. In January, MSP said the case was handed over to the Wayne County Prosecutor in February of 2020, three months after Simmons died.
Find more information on the story here.
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Daily Forecast
It's going to be a rainy one Monday as temperatures remain in the 50s for most of the day and a rumble of thunder threatens Southeast Michigan with a potential storm later today.
What else we're watching
- Michigan's lieutenant governor will be alongside a Detroit bishop and Wayne State president to talk at the city's equity symposium Monday.
- A student at Monroe Public Schools won't be in class Monday after authorities traced an online threat made on social media to the individual. Law enforcement doesn't believe there is any risk to students or staff at the school.
- The Michigan health department is urging parents to get their flu shots soon as the season of viral infections is expected to be worse than usual. There are a number of reasons for that, including that this will be the first winter without mask wearing keeping the germs at bay.
- A new report from the American Community Survey revealed the status of housing in Detroit and the effects the pandemic had on the rates of affordable rent. The consensus from the report is that the number of people burdened by rent will get worse before it gets better, Detroit Future City said.
- Dan Campbell blames himself for the Lions latest lost. The head coach said he should have gone for it on Fourth Down when the team attempted a field goal - which it missed. The Minnesota Vikings won in a come-from-behind drive.
Hurricane Ian forms in Caribbean, prompting Hurricane Watch for Florida's Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay
Ian strengthened into a hurricane in the Caribbean Sea on Monday morning, and the FOX Forecast Center expects the storm to rapidly intensify into a major hurricane by Monday night as it approaches western Cuba. A Hurricane Watch has been issued along Florida's Gulf Coast ahead of the expected wind, rain and storm surge from Hurricane Ian later this week.
Rapid intensification occurs when a tropical cyclone's (tropical depression, tropical storm or hurricane) maximum sustained winds increase by at least 35 mph in a 24-hour period, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged Floridians to take precautions and declared a state of emergency for all 67 counties ahead of the impacts of Hurricane Ian, which could reach Category 4 intensity by Tuesday afternoon in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
A major hurricane is one that is rated Category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.