LAKELAND, Fla. — A mother is in critical condition after four teens intentionally ran her over, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.
The group went to a Lakeland home Monday to "handle" an ongoing romantic dispute with another teen there, deputies say. The teen who lived in the home came out a side door, and that's when deputies say 18-year-old Elijah Stansell attacked him. He tried to run back inside his home, but Stansell and 16-year-old Raven Sutton followed him, according to affidavits. The teen's mother came home at that time, and affidavits show that's when Stansell and the others ran away.
The mother followed them and watched them get into their van, which was parked across the street, the sheriff's office said. The woman was taking pictures of the teens and their van with her phone when deputies say Stansell, who was driving, intentionally ran her over before driving off.
When deputies got to the home just before 3 p.m. Monday they found the woman in critical condition. Deputies say they quickly located the teens in the van a short time after that. In addition to Stansell and Sutton, they say they also found 15-year-old Kimberly Stone and 14-year-old Hannah Eubank inside.
According to authorities, several people told the sheriff's office they saw it all unfold, and home security cameras show the attack outside and inside the home, as well as the teens getting back into their van and running over the woman.
Stansell was booked into the Polk County Jail and charged with attempted murder, burglary with assault and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He was also charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a 15-year-old, a crime the sheriff's office said it found after his arrest Monday.
Sutton, Eubank and Stone were all taken to the JAC and charged with attempted murder and burglary with assault.
"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," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "I can't even fathom teenagers doing something so heinous. Our prayers are with this family."
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