Woman facing hate-crime charge used SUV to strike boy before hitting Latina teen, police say

DES MOINES, Iowa – Twice within an hour on the afternoon of Dec. 9, police say a Des Moines woman intentionally struck young pedestrians with her SUV, later telling authorities that she targeted a teenage girl because she was Latino.

Nicole Marie Poole Franklin, 42, is accused of hitting a 12-year-old boy with her SUV as he walked on a sidewalk within an apartment complex property in Des Moines.

Franklin is charged with attempted murder in the incident, which occurred at 3:54 p.m. on Dec. 9, according to a news release from Des Moines police. Witnesses told police the SUV accelerated before striking the boy, who is black. He suffered minor injuries.

About 30 minutes later, Clive police say Franklin drove her 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee off the roadway and struck 14-year-old girl Natalia Miranda as she walked on a sidewalk. She also faces an attempted-murder charge in that alleged hit-and-run.

Hate crime charge: Woman who allegedly hit teen with SUV because she is 'Mexican' faces hate-crime charge

Previously reported: Iowa woman admits she hit 14-year-old with SUV because the girl 'is Mexican'

Sgt. Paul Parizek of the Des Moines police wrote in an email that they received video surveillance from the apartment complex today that connects the hit-and-run to Franklin's SUV.

Clive Police Chief Michael Venema on Friday said Franklin told police that she targeted the 14-year-old because the girl "is Mexican."

In an email Monday evening, Parizek said the 12-year-old boy is black and that looking at the other two incidents, "the hate-filled motivation is apparent."

"The collective voice of metro law enforcement, and the communities we serve, is sending the message that if you commit biased-based crimes, we will charge you with the most serious offense applicable, with the most severe consequences," Parizek said. "In this case, that charge is attempted murder."

Miranda suffered several injuries but returned to school less than a week after being struck. She told KCCI after the crash that she remembers the vehicle coming toward her but doesn't recall being hit.

"I was in the hospital and I tried moving, and I couldn't get out of my bed," Miranda, who was badly bruised and suffered a concussion, told the TV station. "Sitting up was the worst pain I've ever felt."

About an hour after Miranda was hit, West Des Moines police were called to a Conoco gas station where Franklin allegedly stole merchandise and referred to employees and customers by racial and ethnic slurs.

Kevin Reed, 53, told the Des Moines Register on Friday that he was checking out at the gas station when he saw Franklin throwing potato chips, destroying merchandise and referring to people by racial and ethnic slurs.

West Des Moines police on Sunday said Franklin would face a felony hate-crime charge – assault in violation of individual rights – for the Conoco incident, on top of her previous charges of theft and public intoxication.

Latino organizations including the League of United Latin American Citizens have called for Franklin to be charged with a hate crime, though authorities have not taken that step. The Council on American-Islamic Relations also issued a statement urging hate crime charges.

Polk County Attorney John Sarcone said a hate-crime charge isn't off the table, but he doesn't believe it would give the community the justice they are demanding.

Sarcone said a hate-crime charge enhances specific other charges, such as arson, assault, criminal mischief and trespassing, but wouldn't apply to the attempted-murder charge. Hypothetically, he said, if Franklin were to be charged with both attempted murder and a hate crime, it would leave the possibility for the jury to compromise and drop the attempted-murder charge.

Follow Danielle Gehr on Twitter at @Dani_Gehr

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa woman allegedly hit boy with SUV the same day she hit Latina girl