Man charged after knife attack on neighbor and assault on wife and daughter in Pontiac

PONTIAC, Mich. – A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support the surviving members of a Pontiac Family attacked by neighbor.

According to the Oakland County District Attorney's Office, 50-year-old Timothy Legard stabbed his neighbor to death and sexually assaulted his wife and young daughter on Wednesday morning.

Rebecca Pearl, a close friend of the family, started a GoFundMe campaign to support the family.

“It was such a senseless loss,” Pearl said. “I just can't comprehend it. I honestly can't understand what would make someone do something like that.”

The incident occurred on Wednesday morning (September 18) on Ypsilanti Avenue.

Bill was busy loading the car while his wife and daughter were in the car getting ready for work and school.

Police say Legard stabbed Bill. His body was found in the driveway.

“(My best friend) and my niece ran to the door to see what was going on and all of a sudden the neighbor (Legard) was there with a knife and a violent struggle ensued,” Pearl said. “And they were trapped in the house with him for at least 10 to 20 minutes. I'm not going to go into details because that would keep you up at night.”

According to the public prosecutor's office, Legard sexually abused the mother and her eight-year-old daughter.

Then he let her go.

“It's like he decided it wasn't a good idea anymore and let them go. They had no idea their husband had died on the driveway,” Pearl said. “When they ran out of the driveway, they saw his body. And of course they thought, 'Oh my God, I can't believe he's gone.' Because they were wondering why isn't he coming? Why isn't he coming to save us? Where is he?”

The woman and daughter ran to a neighbor's house and called 911. Police found Legard wandering nearby and arrested him.

He faces several charges, including murder, kidnapping and sexual assault.

“Now my best friend and my niece are without their main source of support, without their safety, they can't even return to their house because of everything that happened in it,” Pearl said.