Detroit Police are seeking charges against a 36-year-old Detroi tman in connection to two people found dead Monday, including his estranged wife.
The man surrendered after police received a call that his wife Theresa Watts and her friend Terance Smith, had been shot at a home near Harper and Outer Drive.
While the warrant hasn’t been submitted yet for his arrest, we’re told police are working on it.
If he is ultimately charged, it will not be his first brush with the law. According to police records, the 36-year-old pled guilty to possession of a dangerous weapon in 2003.
Sources tell us that police were called numerous times to the couple’s home for domestic issues - including as recently as last week.
In fact, we’ve learned that Theresa Watts was in the process of seeking a PPO against her husband, who she was in the midst of divorcing, but the PPO had not yet taken effect.
We don’t know if a PPO could have prevented this tragedy, but victims advocates encourage women who feel their safety is threatened to seek remedies, like a PPO, immediately.
"For some perpetrators, a PPO is a legal action and it is a deterrent and for other perpetrators, it’s a piece of paper. What victims should know is if a perpetrator violates a PPO, the victim should both report it to police and also file a motion within the court system," says HAVEN's Director of Social Action Karen Dekett. "The more systems that are involved and keeping eyes on the perpetrator, the better the outcome for the survivor."
The suspect has not been charged, but sources say the police will submit the warrant request to the Wayne County Prosecutor no later than Wednesday.
