Man accused of attacking seniors in Sterling Heights

A Shelby Township man faces up to life in prison after authorities said he attacked a senior citizen during the victim’s daily walk.

Defrim Lazaj allegedly followed a 76-year-old man for several miles Tuesday during the man’s daily walk along Riverland Drive in Sterling Heights.

Lazaj then attacked the man from behind, hitting him in the head and face and then stabbing him with a knife, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said in a new statement Thursday.

Several good Samaritans intervened and Lazaj fled, authorities said. Sterling Heights police arrested him nearby a short time later.

“Our seniors deserve to feel safe and secure in their communities, and attacks like this are absolutely unbearable,” said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido. “This was a brutal, senseless act against one of our elderly residents.

“Protecting seniors is a top priority for my office, and we are committed to seeking justice for this victim and ensuring that those who harm our elders face the full consequences of the law.”

A spokesman for the Public Prosecution Service said there was no apparent reason for the attack and that the victim appeared to have been selected at random.

Lazaj was charged with assault with intent to murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. If convicted of assault with intent to commit murder, he could be sentenced to life in prison. The other charge carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison.

Lazaj was arraigned Wednesday in 41A District Court Sterling Heights. Bail was set at $500,000, which had not yet been posted as of Thursday afternoon. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 25 at 9 a.m.

Online court records do not list an attorney for Lazaj.

Records show the suspect has a criminal history, including a case filed in May 2023 in which he was charged with assault and battery, as well as malicious destruction of a building, both felonies. That case was dismissed in August 2023.

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