HARPER WOODS, Mich. – More than a week ago, a violent incident that rocked a Harper Woods neighborhood and destroyed a family keeps worsening.
Jonathan Welch, 23, was let out on bond and accused of torturing his girlfriend.
Officials said he used that bond as freedom to take his girlfriend’s life and the lives of others.
“I never would have thought that this would’ve occurred,” said neighbor Jeff Wolfe.
Read: Family speaks out on deadly bond controversy in Harper Woods
The shocking scene played out across the street from Wolf’s Harper Woods home one week ago.
In the video player above is some cell phone footage showing 23-year-old Welch surrendering to police after prosecutors say he killed his long-time girlfriend, Zlayiah Frazier, and his stepfather Robert Bray. He later set his mother’s home on fire and shot at police.
Welch’s own mother was stabbed in her back during the incident, and police now confirm that his mother, Flossie Nicole Bray, has died from her injuries.
“It is just a tragedy,” Wolfe said. “That’s all that can be said about it. Everybody was pulling for Flossie to make and hoping that would be at least one salvageable element of this situation, so it’s very tragic.”
Read: Harper Woods man stabbed mom with butcher’s knife, beat girlfriend, stepdad to death, officials say
All this occurred after Welch was arrested and charged in June with torturing and sexually assaulting Frazier, but A 36th District Court Magistrate gave Welch a $10,000 bond.
Welch’s mother bonded her son out, and hours later, police said Welch attacked her, Frazier, and his stepdad.
“Everybody is shocked and dismayed that all of this could have been prevented,” Wolfe said.
