Witness: ‘He just kept stabbing and stabbing and stabbing’

A Colorado Springs man is credited with saving a woman’s life after he heard her screams, saw her being stabbed repeatedly and intervened.

The stabbing happened in the 2100 block of Jet Wing Drive at around 2:19 p.m. on March 7, 2016.

Court records show that a man who is accused of stabbing his wife multiple times at a southeast side car wash was arrested for doing the same thing in 2005.

According to an arrest affidavit, Roy Michael Billingsley stabbed his wife, Frances Billingsley, seven times. The affidavit says that Ross Johnson intervened and eventually stopped the attack. Johnson told officers “He just kept stabbing and stabbing and stabbing.”

In an interview with KRDO NewsChannel 13, Johnson said it started when he was checking his mailbox and he heard a woman screaming. He dialed 911 and ran over to the car wash next door to intervene.

“As I was approaching the vehicle, I saw a man on top of her stabbing her so I immediately went around to the side of the car to the passenger side because that door was open and at that point, I told the man he needed to stop what he was doing and drop the knife,” said Johnson. “I was going to reach inside and grab him and pull him off. I didn’t care. It could have been Shaquille O’Neal and I didn’t care.”

At first, Johnson said Billingsley put the knife out. His wife tried to get out of the car, but as soon as she was out, Johnson said Billingsley pinned her against the car and stabbed her again.

“He saw me coming and he folded up the knife and set it on that concrete block over there and she fell straight on her face in front of me,” said Johnson.

Johnson said he prayed as he knelt next to her, convinced she was going to die.

“I put my hand on her back. I just wanted to comfort her back if she was going to die, I wanted her to know someone was there that was going to make sure she was going to be OK,” said Johnson.

Johnson stayed kneeling next to her and in between Billingsley and his knife until police arrived.

The court document goes on to say that Billingsley said “I done f*cked up” when approached by an officer. It says Billingsley told the officer that he had served eight years in prison for stabbing the same woman in 2005.

The victim told officers that they are separated. She said the couple got into a fight because Billingsley accused his wife of cheating on him, and that led to the stabbing.

Johnson said Frances Billingsley is recovering in the hospital. He visited her already and plans to help with her recovery in any way he can.

“It was just a blessing, you know? A blessing to do something like that and I never expected anything like that to occur in my life and I am grateful I was there for her,” said Johnson.

Johnson said he never planned to get home from work early on Monday and credits everything to a higher power.

“It’s a God intervention. Fear never entered my mind or my heart. I just did what anyone should do. I was thinking, that could be my mom. That could be your mom. That could be his mom,” said Jonson. “There is so much senseless violence nowadays and I really didn’t think I did anything special but everyone keeps saying that I did because no one does that kind of thing anymore.”

Billingsley is currently in jail at the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center,