COLUMBUS, Ohio Friends and coworkers are remembering Dion Theodore Carter, a 50-year-old maintenance worker who was fatally stabbed early Wednesday at a Hilltop apartment complex where he lived and worked.
Columbus police responded to a stabbing report around 12:05 a.m. at an apartment complex in the 1700 block of Sullivant Avenue, according to the Columbus Division of Police.
When officers arrived, they found Carter on a second-floor walkway with a stab wound to the chest, according to Franklin County Municipal Court charging documents.
Medics transported Carter to Grant Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 12:57 a.m.
Suspect Arrested After Alley Chase
Police arrested 63-year-old James Jacobs, a resident of the same apartment complex, in connection with the killing.
According to court documents, a witness told investigators that Carter and Jacobs were involved in a physical fight before the stabbing. The witness tried to break up the altercation and saw Jacobs holding a knife before Carter collapsed with a wound to his chest.
Authorities said Jacobs ran west through an alley after the stabbing.
Officers later located him near an RV in the 1800 block of Sullivant Avenue with help from a police helicopter and took him into custody.
Jacobs appeared in Franklin County Municipal Court on Thursday and is being held on a $1 million bond on a murder charge.
Community Remembers Dion Carter
People who knew Carter described him as friendly and always willing to help residents at the complex.
“Smiling, always willing to help out,” said Jaynette Hayes, who knew Carter. “He just had a light when he would show up.”
Before working as a maintenance employee on Sullivant Avenue, Carter spent two years working at the United Methodist Free Store on Parsons Avenue.
Store director Dessaree Barrows said Carter was known for helping people in need.
“I am still numb. I can’t believe I am not going to talk to him again,” Barrows said.
Friends said Carter often talked about wanting to make the apartment complex safer for residents.
Apartment Complex Previously Named in Nuisance Lawsuit
The apartment complex where the stabbing occurred was previously named in a nuisance lawsuit filed in October 2025 by the office of Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein.
The lawsuit alleges property owners failed to properly manage the complex and allowed criminal activity to continue on the property.
Members of the crime-prevention nonprofit Securban Living told local reporters they spent more than a year collecting security footage documenting activity at the complex.
Klein referenced the homicide while discussing the case, saying the tragedy shows why the lawsuit was filed.
Residents say fencing, security cameras and warning signs have since been installed at the property.
Carter’s death underscores the ongoing challenges in some Columbus neighborhoods, even as recently highlighted a 95% clearance rate for non-fatal shootings in nearby Linden.
Fundraiser Created for Burial
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been created to help return Carter’s body to his home state of Michigan for burial.
Authorities have not released additional information about Carter’s family.
The Columbus Division of Police homicide unit continues to investigate the case.
Sources: Franklin County Municipal Court records, Columbus Division of Police