3 teens charged in death of Ohio mom killed trying to save son in carjacking

COLUMBUS, Ohio — All three teenagers charged in connection with the death of Alexa Stakely, an Ohio mom struck while trying to prevent the theft of her vehicle with her 6-year-old son inside, will remain in custody after their court appearances Thursday.

The three suspects — 19-year-old Gerald Dowling, and two 16-year-olds — have all been charged with murder. The two 16-year-olds, charged in Franklin County Juvenile Court, could be tried as adults if a judge finds probable cause to believe they committed the crime.

The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network, is not naming the two minors because they have not been charged as adults.

Police said Wednesday that one of the 16-year-olds accompanied by his parents, surrendered himself at Columbus police headquarters and agreed to an interview with detectives. He later told detectives that he and the two other acquaintances were looking for a vehicle to steal around 1:30 a.m. on July 11 when they came across Stakely's Honda.

The other 16-year-old was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon and admitted to detectives that he was present during the attempted theft of Stakely's vehicle, according to Columbus police. Dowling turned himself in Wednesday night.

Judge sets $10M bond for 19-year-old suspect

In the first court hearing Thursday afternoon, Magistrate Woodrow Hudson said the younger teens will be held in the county's Juvenile Intervention Center pending another hearing scheduled for Monday.

The only adult among the three suspects, Dowling, had his first appearance Thursday morning in Franklin County Municipal Court. Judge Bill Hedrick set Dowling's bond at $10 million.

Attorneys for the two 16-year-olds said neither teen has any criminal history or even speeding tickets on their records. Both attend Canal Winchester High School, including one who played football for the school.

One of the 16-year-olds reportedly told Columbus police detectives he was the person behind the wheel of Stakely's vehicle when it struck her.

What happened to Alexa Stakely?

Stakely, 29, a single mother who was a speech-language pathologist for Winchester Trail Elementary School in Canal Winchester, Ohio, also had a part-time job as a waitress to support her son. She was picking her son up after a waitressing shift.

Stakely brought the sleeping boy out to her Honda CRV, which she left running, while she met the babysitter in the doorway to get the boy's belongings, police said.

As Stakely returned to her vehicle, she saw someone inside beginning to back out onto the road. Stakely ran out toward the Honda and was heard screaming for her child and telling the driver to stop, police said.

As his two friends watched, the 16-year-old told detectives he got into Stakely's vehicle and was about to drive off when Stakely ran out to stop him. Police said the teen told detectives that he panicked and began driving off, striking Stakely with her vehicle.

Police said the Honda hit Stakely and she was knocked to the pavement, suffering a "fatal wound" to her head. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The 16-year-old abandoned the Honda within the same complex. Witnesses saw two males running north, past where Stakely was on the ground, jumping a fence and escaping into a neighboring apartment complex, police said. The three regrouped a short time later on foot, police said.

Stakely's son was recovered uninjured and told police he slept through the attempted carjacking.

'She was my best friend'

More than 100 people gathered near Winchester Trail Elementary School last week to pay tribute to the young single mother. Stakely's friends and colleagues said she aspired to own a home and business. Those who knew her said she was loyal to her friends and family and loved her son "fiercely.

Stakely's brother, Braedyn Price, also attended the vigil. Price, 21, said that he woke up at 4 a.m. on July 11 to a phone call saying that his sister, best friend, and mentor, Alexa, had been hit by a car. He said he initially didn't believe it and then thought she had suffered some moderate injuries but that she'd recover.

"And the next thing I knew, I was looking over her body," Price said. "It's still very hard for me to grasp."

Price said that since his sister's passing, he just feels "empty" and that he's had trouble sleeping. He also said that he is angry at the people who are responsible for her death.

"She was an amazing human and my best friend," Price said.

Violent carjackings in the U.S.

Carjackings have significantly increased in some U.S. cities since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Council on Criminal Justice. Carjackings surged by 93% in 10 cities from 2019 to 2023 and while the figure fell by 5% in 2023, data showed that the rate of carjackings was still high compared to years before 2020.

The rise in carjacking rates — along with other violent crimes — have prompted authorities, including in the nation's capital, to provide more resources and crackdown on crime.

Since 1992, federal, state, and local authorities have tried to toughen carjacking laws in response to spates of violent carjackings — including some incidents in which victims were murdered. One incident is credited to have prompted a federal response.

In September 1992, Pamela Basu, 34, was dragged to her death after two carjackers pushed her out of her vehicle while she was at a stop sign. Basu was driving her 2-year-old daughter to her first day of preschool.

During the incident, Basu's arm got caught in a seatbelt and she was dragged for one and a half miles after she attempted to reach for her daughter in the back seat, according to The New York Times Archives. The two perpetrators were convicted of murder and other charges.

The murder of Basu shocked the country and outraged members of Congress, according to a North Carolina Central Law Review article. Congress quickly passed the Federal Anti-Car Theft Act of 1992 and former President George H. W. Bush signed it into law in October 1992.

Contact Shahid Meighan at smeighan@dispatch.com or on X @ShahidMeighan

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Alexa Stakely case: 3 charged in connection to Ohio mom's death