Man accused of murdering 87-year-old woman in her Oak Cliff home turns himself into police

Dallas police said they have arrested the 58-year-old man accused of killing an 87-year-old woman in her Oak Cliff home last week.

DALLAS, Texas - Dallas police said they have arrested the 58-year-old man accused of killing an 87-year-old woman in her Oak Cliff home last week.

Police said Anita Thompson was murdered, found inside her home off Fortune Lane Tuesday. Now, the suspected killer of the 87-year old is someone people in the neighborhood have known for years.

"To be honest, I’m still in disbelief," Thompson’s granddaughter, Danye’ll Jefferson, said.

Thompson always showed love to her 15-year-old great-granddaughter, recently saving money for her sweet 16 birthday celebration.

"She said, ‘I got a jar, and every time I have some change, I’m putting it in there. I’m putting it in there for Pootie,’" Jefferson recalled.

Loved ones assumed she’d one day die of natural causes. They never imagined murder.

"It was just inconceivable. I just could not believe it," said Ola Allen, with the Marsalis Park Homeowner’s Association.

Friends and family gathered Sunday evening for a vigil/justice walk in honor of Thompson to let the neighborhood know they will not allow it to turn violent.

People in the neighborhood are struggling with the reality that police have arrested Andre Stefan Buggs as their suspect. Buggs turned himself into police on Sunday, a day after being identified as the suspect in Thompson's murder.

The 58-year-old grew up in the neighborhood. Neighbors said his mother lives next door to where Thompson lived. The two were close friends.

In fact, FOX 4 interviewed her on Wednesday, before her son was named the suspect.

"She’s a God-fearing woman and I know that she has a lot of family support," neighbor Teresa Hanks said.

"We are going to mend together," Allen added.

Allen said she’s known the suspect since he was a kid. She saw him three weeks ago.

"I asked him how was he doing. He said he was doing well. He said good to see you Mrs. Allen. I said Andre good to see you, how are things going? And he said things are going well," she recalled.

Police said they don’t yet know what the motive was.

Friend and family hold vigil for 87-year-old Oak Cliff woman murdered in her own home

Police arrested the man wanted for the murder of an 87-year-old woman. Hours later, friends and family gathered in her Oak Cliff neighborhood to remember the woman they knew and loved.

If Buggs is proven guilty, neighbors say they won’t blame his family.

"Everyone will take this as a learning experience to come together, to try to look out for one another as we have for so long," Hanks said.

The same goes for Thompson’s granddaughter, who thinks the world of the suspect’s mother.

"[She was] a wonderful friend to my grandmother," she said.

Still, she’s heartbroken knowing her grandmother wanted to live just long enough to love on her great-granddaughter a bit more.

"She just wanted God to keep her alive just to see my daughter graduate," Jefferson said.

Oak Cliff Crime and Public Safety