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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Prosecutors said they plan to try two teenagers as adults after they were charged with the murder of a Canal Winchester woman during an attempted carjacking.
During separate hearings in juvenile court Thursday, prosecuting attorneys said they will move forward in trying two 16-year-olds as adults for the murder of Alexa Stakely, who was struck by her own car after the boys, along with 19-year-old Gerald Dowling Jr., reportedly attempted to steal the vehicle on July 11.
Stakely died after being struck around 1:30 a.m. that morning. She was picking up her 6-year-old child from his babysitter’s apartment. Police said that while the child was asleep in the car and Stakely ran back to the apartment to pick up the boy’s belongings, someone started to drive away in her vehicle.
Stakely, a single mother who was attempting to stop the carjacking, was hit and killed by the car, which was found abandoned nearby with her son safe and still asleep inside.
On Wednesday all three suspects were arrested, According to the Columbus Division of Police, the first teen, from Canal Winchester, was brought to police headquarters by his parents, where he agreed to an interview with detectives. The boy allegedly confessed to stealing Stakely’s car and hitting her with the vehicle.
Police later announced a second 16-year-old, also from Canal Winchester, was interviewed about the case when he also allegedly admitted to being at the scene of the carjacking. Approximately an hour later, Dowling Jr., of Dublin, also agreed to be interviewed by police, where he allegedly admitted to being present during the carjacking.
All three have been charged with murder. Dowling Jr. was being held on a $10 million bond after an arraignment hearing Thursday morning. Dowling Jr. was not present at the hearing
Both teenagers, who also waived their court appearance, will be held in juvenile detention center until their next hearing on July 29.
