Three individuals have been accused of involvement in the slaying of a 29-year-old mother who lost her life while attempting to protect her son after her car was stolen.
As reported by News Center 7, Alexa Stakely had picked up her 6-year-old son from a babysitter and placed the sleeping child inside her Honda, which was left running.
As Stakely headed towards the babysitter’s place to retrieve the boy’s belonging, an unidentified individual managed to sneak into the SUV and started driving away.
The courageous woman attempted to stop the thieves by leaping onto the car’s hood. Tragically, she was forcefully thrown from the vehicle and succumbed to her injuries.
The Columbus Police Headquarters received an unexpected visit from a 16-year-old who showed up with his parents and confessed to stealing the vehicle involved in the accident with Stakely.
As per WBNS, the teenager informed the authorities that he and two accomplices were searching for a car to steal when they spotted Stakely’s Honda.
While the friends observed, the 16-year-old narrated that he entered Stakely’s SUV and was preparing to leave when she suddenly appeared in front of the vehicle.
According to the teenager, he became frightened and started driving away, accidentally hitting Stakely in the process.
After leaving the SUV behind, he reunited with the other two individuals on foot.
After conducting an investigation, the police were able to identify and interview another 16-year-old who was present during the incident. Upon questioning, the individual confessed to their involvement and has since been charged with murder.
Police confirmed that Gerald Dowling, the third suspect, voluntarily surrendered himself at Columbus Police Headquarters and admitted to his involvement less than two hours later.
As a single mother, Stakely juggled multiple jobs to make ends meet. One of her roles included being a speech-language pathologist at Winchester Trail Elementary School located in Canal Winchester.
Hayden Swartz, the younger brother of Stakely, fondly remembers her as an incredible person who had a passion for teaching children. Stakely was highly skilled in her field of speech-language pathology and was renowned for her brilliant work. Her heart for children was evident in all that she did and she left a lasting impact on those she taught.