Man charged with attempted murder in stabbing

A Windsor man accused of stabbing an elderly woman in a random attack on Ottawa Street appeared in court by video from a jail cell Thursday, charged with attempted murder.

Richard Phillip Pillar, 28, is also charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and two breaches of probation for being in possession of a weapon. The breach charges, relating to probation orders imposed on him last April 20 and Sept. 5, 2014, indicate Pillar is no stranger to the courts.

In what police are calling an unprovoked attack on a complete stranger, an 83-year-old grandmother was walking on Ottawa Street near Hall Avenue about 11 a.m. Wednesday when a man came up behind her, put her in a headlock and stabbed her repeatedly in the face. When the woman fell to the ground, the man climbed on top of her and continued his attack, stabbing her in the head and torso.

The woman remains in hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

Police released photos from surveillance cameras on Ottawa Street. Pillar was arrested about 4:45 p.m. the same day on Wyandotte Street East near Devonshire Road. Pillar will remain in police custody and is to appear in court again by video on Monday. No date for a bail hearing has been set.

Police continue to investigate and are asking anyone with new information to contact detectives. Specifically, they are hoping to contact a person walking a dog in the area who chased after the attacker. Residents or businesses with surveillance cameras are also asked to call police. Anyone with information is asked to call Windsor police at 519-255-6700, ext. 4830 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 519-258-8477.