A tragic incident unfolded in St. Louis, Missouri, where a 37-year-old man is accused of fatally stabbing his grandmother and injuring her two dogs. The suspect, Ronald Allred III, is facing charges including first-degree murder, armed criminal action, and two counts of misdemeanor animal abuse. He made his initial court appearance on Tuesday.

The case came to light on Sunday when officers from the St. Louis County Police Department responded to a distress call from a woman on the 8500 block of Jenny Drive. According to the criminal complaint reviewed by Law&Crime, the caller discovered her 81-year-old mother, Fannie Allred, lying unresponsive and face-down in a pool of blood.

The court documents further revealed that Fannie Allred suffered “six stab wounds to her head, neck, and chest,” highlighting the severity of the attack that took place in her home.

At the crime scene, authorities also found two French bulldogs with stab wounds, although their injuries were not life-threatening, and they are expected to recover.

Investigators quickly pieced together that Ronald Allred had spent the previous night at the victim’s home and was seen there earlier that same morning. However, his whereabouts were unknown when police arrived on the scene.

Police soon learned that Ronald Allred had “stayed at the victim”s residence the night prior” and that someone had seen him at her home “earlier that morning.” However, he was not at the house when officers arrived.

Investigators issued an alert for agencies to be on the lookout for the suspect and his pickup truck, local Fox affiliate KTVI reported. He was spotted at Calvary Cemetery — about a 12-minute drive away from the crime scene — and a police officer approached him in his vehicle. The marked police car pulled up next to Ronald Allred’s truck. As Ronald Allred allegedly reached toward his feet, the officer fired a shot, but it hit the officer’s own vehicle and the suspect sped away.

Later that day, Ronald Allred was spotted again — this time at a local gas station. He reportedly barricaded himself inside his truck, causing “a standoff in the city.” Police were able to take him into custody, where they also charged him with resisting arrest.

After police read the suspect his Miranda rights, he reportedly “confessed to the stabbing.” However, authorities have not revealed a suspected motive.

Fannie Allred is remembered by her loved ones as having been a matriarch of her family. As her family put it, she wasn’t just a leader, she was a survivor.

The 81-year-old woman had just defeated stage 2 colon cancer, according to St. Louis-based NBC affiliate KSDK.

“She was like the matriarch of the family, actually,” said her son, Ronald Allred Jr. “She’s been in her neighborhood 20-plus years so everybody on the block know her, they looked out for her. Walking to and from the store, ‘Hey Ms. Allred.’”

“One of the most beautiful souls that you would ever come in contact with,” Marvin Allred added of his mother. “It was nothing she wouldn’t do for you. This is like a dream/nightmare. Unfortunately, with her being so open-hearted, it cost her her life.”