PONTIAC (WWJ) -- A 50-year-old man is facing nearly a dozen criminal charges, including premeditated murder, stemming from a horrific attack on a Pontiac family.
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office announced Friday that Timothy Ernest Legard of Pontiac has been charged with murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault after he stabbed one of his neighbors to death and attacked two others, including a child, on Wednesday.
According to investigators, this happened the morning of Sept. 18, at a home in the 100 block of Ypsilanti, in the area of Columbia Ave. and Baldwin in Pontiac.
Legard allegedly went to his neighbors' home at around 6 a.m. and met the male victim outside, while the victim's wife was in the house helping their daughter get ready for school.
It's alleged that Legard stabbed the 41-year-old man to death, before he went into the home and sexually assaulted both the wife and daughter.
The two were able to escape to another neighbor's home and call 911.
Responding officers then found the husband, 41, dead in the driveway with a stab wound to his chest.
Deputies found Legard a few blocks away, near the corner of Walton and Baldwin, and took him into custody.
In a statement, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard characterized the defendant and the man he allegedly killed as friends.
"The allegations in this case are about as sick as they come," said Bouchard. "Murdered one of his friends and then sexually assaulted the victim's wife and young daughter in the same room. Even for seasoned law enforcement veterans, the emotional trauma on these poor victims is overwhelming. Disgusting on so many levels. I look forward to him being held accountable."
The charges are as follows: First-Degree Murder, two counts of Kidnapping, three counts of First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, Second-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, two counts of Assault with Intent to Commit Penetration, and two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Felonious Assault).
"This was an absolutely brutal and horrific attack on a family," said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald. "First-Degree Murder, First-Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct, and Kidnapping are life offenses, and they are the most serious charges my office brings. We will fight vigorously for justice for this family and to protect the community from those who perpetrate violence."
Legard remained lodged in the Oakland County Jail on Friday, awaiting an arraignment expected to take place over the weekend.
