PITTSFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A man got into a fight with his family before breaking into the home of total strangers, killing a woman and injuring a man and a dog, officials said.
Here’s what we know about this case.
Pittsfield Township break-in
Police said the break-in happened at 12:06 a.m. Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, in the 1900 block of Breckland Drive in Pittsfield Township.
Officers were called to the home by someone who said the owners had been attacked by a naked man who forced his way inside.
When they arrived, police found two injured people and learned that the attacker had fled.
A neighbor told officials that an unknown man was knocking on their door. Police went to that home and said the man matched the description of the attacker, so they took him into custody.
Woman dies, man injured
Officials said an 81-year-old woman and an 82-year-old man suffered life-threatening injuries during the attack. They were rushed to a nearby hospital.
The woman died from her injuries.
The man had several cuts, but he is now stable, officials said.
A dog also suffered several bad cuts in the attack, police said. The dog had surgery and is stable.
Suspected attacker
Anthony Flanagan, 40, has been charged in this case by the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office.
He’s charged with open murder, assault with intent to murder, first-degree home invasion, assault with intent to do great bodily harm by strangulation, assault and battery, and second-degree animal cruelty.
Flanagan was arraigned Saturday at 14a-1 District Court and denied bond. He is being held at the Washtenaw County Jail.
Family fight
Pittsfield Township police said Flanagan and the homeowners didn’t appear to know each other.
Officials said before the attack, Flanagan got into an “altercation” with family members at a home on Weatherstone Drive in Ann Arbor.
Police continue to investigate this case and how the family fight might have played a role.
If you have information
The Pittsfield Township Detective Bureau and Evidence Tech Unit are investigating this case.
Anyone who has information is asked to call police at one of the following numbers:
- Confidential TIP line: 734-822-4958 (Detective Bureau).
- General information: 734-822-4911 (Front Desk).
- Request police response: 734-994-2911, extension 8 (Metro Dispatch).
