Three Ohio teenagers were charged this week with the murder of 29-year-old mom who died trying to stop them from stealing her SUV with her 6-year-old child sleeping inside.
Gerald Dowling, 19, and two 16-year-olds were arrested Wednesday for the July 11 death of Alexa Stakely, the Columbus Dispatch reported.
Alexa Stakely, a school district speech and language pathologist, had just worked her second job as a waitress and was picking her 6-year-old child up from the babysitter’s home, as CrimeOnline reported
She placed the sleeping child in her 2022 Honda SUV and ran back to the house to retrieve her son’s belongings from the babysitter. As she returned to the SUV, it began to back out onto the road. Stakely was seen running toward the vehicle, but she was hit by the SUV and thrown onto the pavement while the Honda continued away.
Arriving officers found Stakely with traumatic injuries. She died at a hospital about seven hours later.
According to the Dispatch, Dowling and the children made their first appearances in court Thursday. A Franklin County Juvenile Court judge will determine if there is probable cause to try the juveniles; if so, they will be charged as adults.
Another hearing for the children is set for Monday.
Dowlng was given a $10 million bond in Franklin County Municipal Court.
Attorneys for the children said that neither one has any criminal record and that both attend Canal Winchester High School, where one plays on the football team.
One of the boys told detectives after his surrender to police on Wednesday that he was driving Stakely’s stolen Honda when it hit her. He said he panicked when Stakely ran out and hit her as he was driving away. The teens abandoned the vehicle in the same apartment complex where it was stolen, and two of the thieves were seen running away, past Stakely lying on the ground.
Investigators said he surrendered after telling his parents he was involved. That boy told police he and the other two were out looking for cars to steal on July 11 when they came across Stakely’s Honda, which she had left running to go back and pick up her son’s belongings at the babysitter’s door.
The other 16-year-old was taken into custody later Wednesday afternoon and admitted he was present during the incident. Dowling surrendered that evening.
