Baltimore County community shows support in aftermath of two domestic-related murders
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore County residents joined community leaders and police officers in the aftermath of two recent domestic-related murders.
A crime walk, organized by Maryland Delegate Carl Jackson, was held Thursday on Breslin Court in Rosedale where a father allegedly shot and killed his 4-year-old son Jacobi Jones on Christmas Eve.
Mark Jones, 30, is facing charges in the death of his son, and in the shooting that injured a woman and the 1-year-old daughter they share, according to charging documents obtained by WJZ.
"My baby died right there," said Promyss Michelle, Jacobi's mother. "I would do anything in this world to have my baby back, hug my son."
In Pikesville, 21-year-old Xander Fried is facing charges in the stabbing death of his mother, 57-year-old Melanie Fried, who was found dead hunched over a chair on New Year's Eve.
Delegate Jackson, who oversees District 8, which includes Pikesville and Rosedale, said his district has been a recent hotspot for domestic violence.
"If anyone here is dealing with issues of domestic violence, we have professionals here to help you," Jackson said.
Support and resources
At Thursday's crime walk, Baltimore County police and local behavioral specialists offered support and resources to anyone who may need it.
"In the light of what occurred, we're focusing on resources and looking at how we respond to domestic violent incidents," said Baltimore County Police Chief Robert McCullough.
Promyss Michelle, who revisited where her son was murdered, hopes that sharing her story will serve as a warning to others.
"Just leave before it gets like mine," Michelle said. "It's not worth it."
Deadly Rosedale shooting
According to charging documents, Promyss Marcelle was sleeping in her bedroom with the children at her apartment on Christmas Eve when Mark Jones, who was sleeping in the children's room, walked into her room and started arguing.
According to police, 4-year-old Jacobi asked his father to leave.
That is when, police wrote in charging documents, "Jones retrieved a backpack from the closet and removed a handgun. Jones then began to load the handgun magazine with bullets. [Their mother and] children were all in the bed. [The mother] then heard a "boom" and felt the back of her shirt get wet, and she fell to the floor. She stated Jones then shot her son and then shot himself."
Michelle spoke with WJZ about the domestic-related shooting.
Deadly stabbing in Pikesville
Xander Fried is facing first-degree murder charges for fatally stabbing his mother on Dec. 31, 2024, according to police.
Around 1:45 p.m., officers responded to a home in the 100 block of Brightside Avenue after being notified of an assault in progress.
According to charging documents, the 911 caller said he killed his mother because his mother was a violent person who had been holding a knife. When officers arrived, they also identified Fried, who again told police he had killed his mother, as the 911 caller.
Police said they found the victim, 57-year-old Melanie Fried, dead inside the home, hunched over a chair with multiple stab wounds to the chest and hands.
If you or someone you love is a survivor of abuse, help is available at thehotline.org or 1-800-799-7233.
