COLUMBUS, Ohio In a heartbreaking incident on the city’s west side, a maintenance worker was fatally stabbed following a dispute at an apartment complex in the Hilltop neighborhood. The event unfolded late on March 10, 2026, around 11:45 p.m. in the 1700 block of Sullivant Avenue.
According to authorities, the victim, identified as Dion Theodore Carter, a man in his 50s who served as the maintenance man and resided on the second floor of the complex, was found with a stab wound to the chest on the second-floor walkway. He was rushed to Grant Medical Center in critical condition but was pronounced dead at 12:57 a.m. on March 11.
Witnesses reported hearing yelling and a physical altercation prior to the stabbing, describing a fight between Carter and a tenant over a maintenance issue. One witness intervened to break up the confrontation and observed the suspect holding a knife before Carter collapsed.
Columbus police arrested 63-year-old James Jacobs, a resident of the complex, shortly after the incident near an RV in the 1800 block of Sullivant Avenue. A folding knife was recovered at the scene. Jacobs has been charged with murder and is being held in Franklin County Jail, with an arraignment scheduled for March 12.
The Columbus Division of Police is continuing its investigation and encourages anyone with information to contact the Homicide Unit at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477. This tragic event highlights ongoing concerns about resident safety in local apartment communities.
