A woman identified as Alyssa Hill died after a stabbing Tuesday at a Skyline Chili in Norwood, and police said a suspect was taken into custody near the restaurant just before noon. Hill was taken to the hospital after officers found her at 4588 Montgomery Road, but she was pronounced dead there.

The killing drew immediate attention because it happened in a public place and ended with an arrest the same day. Hamilton County court documents identified the suspect as 37-year-old Rick Wright, who was being held without bond in the Hamilton County Justice Center after Wednesday morning's arraignment.

Police said investigators believed the incident was isolated and that there was no active threat to the public. But court records and 911 calls identified Wright as one of Hill's ex-boyfriends, and the same records showed he was wanted on a warrant tied to a probation violation from a February 2025 assault that allegedly involved an attempt to attack a Norwood police officer.

At the arraignment, Hamilton County Assistant Prosecutor Sarah McMahon asked the judge to deny bond, telling the court, “Your honor, I'd like to speak to the facts and the seriousness and the heinousness of this crime,” and adding that Hill was “a mother, she's a daughter, she was a co-worker and a friend.” McMahon also said Wright had prior convictions for assault, drug trafficking and menacing.

People who knew Hill described a woman whose days were split between work and family. Kayla Elliot said Hill was high-spirited, sweet, hardworking and independent, and said she was a single mother who also cared for her father while working almost every day at Skyline for years. “The loss has been heartbreaking for everyone who knew and loved her,” Elliot said, adding, “Her children and family meant everything to her, and the love she had for them was obvious in everything she did.”

The Norwood Skyline location was closed Wednesday, and flowers and cards lined the doorway. Employees in the plaza said the restaurant owner had been stopping by during the day to collect tributes, and Leah Chilton said she and a coworker left flowers outside after hearing the news. Chilton, who said her coworkers at the BMV often ate lunch there, said the staff treated them like family and that “You feel a heavy presence today in the office. Everybody's feeling it.”

Wright remained held without bond, and the case now turns on what investigators can prove happened inside the restaurant before Hill was stabbed. The public part of the answer was settled Tuesday; the rest is now in court.