Four teens are charged with attempted murder for 'running over the mother of a boy they attacked in his own home over "romantic dispute"'
A Florida woman is in critical condition after four teens admitted to running her over with a van on Monday just moments after they savagely beat her son inside the mother’s home as part of an ‘ongoing romantic dispute.’
The four teens - Elijah Stansell, 18; a 16-year-old boy; a 15-year-old girl; and a 14-year-old girl - were arrested and charged with felony attempted murder and burglary with assault, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
As of Wednesday, none of the three minors have been charged as an adult.
Investigators said that Stansell, who was the ringleader of the group, and the three others went to the home of a teen at around 2:50pm in Polk City, which lies about 40 miles southwest of Orlando.
Before the assault, the teen victim and the 15-year-old girl had been arguing on social media.
The girl is alleged to have threatened to ‘hit’ the victim and to have her new boyfriend ‘handle it,’ according to a police affidavit obtained by ClickOrlando.
Investigators said the 15-year-old girl provided the teen victim’s address to the others.
The image above is a screenshot of surveillance video filmed just seconds before a Polk City, Florida, woman was run over by a van on Monday afternoon
After her son was viciously assaulted by three teens, the woman went out into the street and began taking photographs of the van and its license plate
According to authorities, Stansell was behind the wheel when he drove the van into the woman. Investigators said Stansell had room to maneuver around the woman, but intentionally plowed the vehicle into her. She sustained life-threatening injuries as a result, police said
When Stansell and the other three drove to the teen victim’s home, the 15-year-old girl stayed behind in the van while the others went into the home to carry out the assault, according to authorities.
Investigators said Stansell and the other two got out of the van and ‘banged’ on the teenager’s front door.
The teen victim who was at home came out the side of the house and walked toward the carport to see who was there.
Stansell and the 16-year-old boy then descended on the victim, attacking him while the 14-year-old girl recorded the incident on her cell phone.
The victim then tried to get away by going back inside his home, but Stansell and the 16-year-old boy followed him inside, according to investigators.
Video footage obtained by ClickOrlando shows the moment that the three teens barge into the victim’s home and continue their assault.
Moments earlier, Stansell and a 16-year-old boy assaulted the woman's teenage son while one of Stansell's friends, a 14-year-old girl, filmed the assault on a cell phone
Investigators said that Stansell and two others 'banged' on the door of the victim's home at around 2:50pm on Monday
The victim exited the home and went to the carport to see who was there when he was assaulted by Stansell and the 16-year-old boy, according to investigators
The victim then tried to run back into his home through the front door but was followed by Stansell, the 16-year-old boy, and the 14-year-old girl
At around the same time, the victim’s mother arrived home with her other son and the three suspects ran back toward the van, according to investigators.
Deputies said the woman walked into the roadway and took out her cell phone to take photos of the van and its license plate.
Investigators said that even though Stansell had enough room to maneuver and drive around her, he plowed into her intentionally and then fled the scene.
The woman suffered severe brain trauma, including brain bleed and a skull fracture. She was also diagnosed with a broken leg, ligament damage to her left knee, and fluid buildup in her lungs.
As of Wednesday, she was in a coma and on a ventilator in the intensive care unit. Her condition is listed as critical.
‘This was a coordinated, planned attack, carried out by a group of teens who beat up a teen then ran over his mother, leaving her for dead,’ Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.
‘I can’t even fathom teenagers doing something so heinous. Our prayers are with this family.’
A Polk County utilities worker witnessed the van running over the woman. The van is seen above moments before the mother arrived to confront the four teens
The utilities worker followed the van and dialed 911. For six minutes, the worker stayed on the phone with the dispatcher and provided information about the direction the van was headed as well as its license plate number
Investigators managed to locate the suspects’ van thanks to a Polk County utilities employee who followed the vehicle in his government-issued truck for about five minutes after witnessing the woman being run over.
While on the phone with the 911 dispatcher, the worker gave key information, including the license plate number and the van’s direction.
‘I’m following a van - you probably just got a phone call - I’m following a van that just ran this lady over,’ he said.
The utility worker told 911 that the van’s driver wasn’t speeding or running any red lights. He said it was likely that the driver was unaware that his van was being followed.
‘I’m trying to stay back, I don’t know if they have a gun or what but they just mowed that poor lady down,’ he said.
After the six-minute phone conversation, authorities managed to locate the van.
‘I do appreciate your help. My gosh, made a difference,’ the operator told the utility worker.
