POLK CITY, Fla. — Four teenagers in Polk County are facing attempted murder charges after authorities say they purposely ran over the mother of another teenager with whom they had an ongoing dispute.
Deputies say they responded to a Polk City home on Monday around 2:50 p.m. and found the mother critically injured. The suspects were caught by responding deputies and Auburndale Police Officers.
According to a press release, the teenagers went to the teenage victim's home to "handle" the ongoing argument, which deputies say was romantic in nature. The group consisted of 18-year-old Elijah Stansell, a 16-year-old, a 15-year-old and a 14-year-old.
ABC Action News is not naming the other suspects because they are underage.
Deputies say the group knocked on the front door of the home, and the victim came out of a side door and into the carport to see who it was.
The group ran to the carport and Stansell attacked the victim, who ran back into his home followed by Stansell and the 16-year-old, according to authorities.
The victim's mom came home and deputies say the group ran away. Deputies say the mother watched the suspects get into the van they came in, which was parked across the street, and took pictures of the vehicle with her phone.
Deputies say despite having the room to drive around, Stansell intentionally drove into and over the mother before driving away. She's now in critical condition at a local hospital, authorities say.
The sheriff's office says several witnesses and surveillance videos show the entire incident.
All four of the suspects admitted to going to the victim's home to confront the victim. They all also admitted to being in the van when the victim's mother was run over, deputies say.
Stansell was booked into the Polk County Jail for attempted felony murder, burglary with assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor (x3). After his arrest, the sheriff's office says another crime was discovered and he was also charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a 15-year-old.
The three underage suspects were all taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center for the charges of attempted felony 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."
