Bouwman neighbors relieved after arrest

KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) - The killing of David and Vivian Bouwman in their home in a quiet Kentwood neighborhood sparked anxiety among the residents. With the arrest of the main suspect, there is a sense of relief.

One neighbor told 24 Hour News 8, "When (the news) broke (about the arrest of Javonte Higgins) I was playing a game with my grandson. I felt relief. But maybe we don't have everyone involved."

Others echoed that sentiment, but still are thankful for the efforts of all the police agencies.

Family members of David and Vivian Bouwman were elated to learn news of the arrest of the man suspected of killing the couple.

"Wow!" said Tom Kelly, one of the Bouwmans' son-in-laws, "That's huge."

The family had been waiting for detailed information from authorities about the case including returns on DNA evidence from the Michigan State Police Crime Lab.

The news of the arrest was a surprise.

"What a blessing," Kelly said. "That way he can't do it to anybody else."

Kelly was anxious to alert other family members of the news they'd been waiting for, news that he says comes as a relief,

"Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed," Kelly said.

Neighbors in the Princeton Estates Neighborhood and Arbor Park Apartment Complex where the couple's car was found burning are relieved Javonte HiggIns has been arrested.

"Feeling better," said Kel Keefer who lives just a few houses down from the Bouwmans.

The recent murders have turned his neighborhood upside down.

"You now see lights on all night, motion lights on all night or some people leave their back lights on all the time now," said  Keefer. "Yeah there is a lot of fear."

Keefer's home was a part of the investigation. It was roped off by police to track footprints in his backyard the morning after the murders.

"I just couldn't believe it," he said. "It was just so close. How sound do you sleep?"

He says his entire family will now be resting easier and they aren't the only ones. Families at the Arbor Park Apartments in Wyoming also feel the weight of fear has been lifted. That's where the Bouwman's car was found on fire.

"I'm just glad that he got arrested because I didn't want him coming back around here hurting other people," said Brittany Stewart.

News broke late Friday afternoon that Javonte Higgins, the only person officially named as a suspect in the Bouwmans' murders, was arrested in Chicago. Police have still not said what linked him to the Bouwmans' death.

Police are still looking for another person of  interest. He's described as a light skinned black man in his 30s, about 6-feet tall, with a beard that has a bit of gray in it. He is believed to have a tan hat and a red scarf.