Authorities have detained three individuals following the tragic death of a mother who was fatally injured while attempting to save her son from presumed carjackers.
Alexa Stakely succumbed to her injuries after being struck by her own vehicle in Ohio on July 11, as confirmed by the police.
Following the tragic event, Alexa’s vehicle was left abandoned with her son still asleep inside.
Police have confirmed that the child was found unharmed.
In their search for the culprits, police have now arrested three suspects: a 19-year-old man and two unnamed teenagers.
One of the teenagers reportedly turned himself in at the police headquarters, arriving with his parents and confessing to hitting Alexa and stealing the vehicle.
Authorities subsequently interviewed a second teenager who was involved in the incident.
Both have been charged with murder.
Gerald Dowling, 19, has also been charged with murder according to jail records, although it remains unclear if any of the teenagers have entered a plea.
Alexa, a 29-year-old single mother, had finished a shift at her second job and was picking up her son from his babysitter’s residence.
She worked as a speech pathologist at the Canal Winchester School District.
After securing her son in the vehicle and starting it, she ran back to the babysitter’s house to retrieve something.
Upon returning, she noticed the car was moving and ran after it.
She was then struck by the vehicle, which subsequently drove away.
“Alexa was passionate about children and speech-language therapy,” the Canal Winchester School District stated.
“She was smart and compassionate, and she cared so much about helping children develop their ability to communicate.
“She was a great mom who was incredibly dedicated to her son. Ms. Stakely made a difference in the lives of the students and families she worked with and will be missed by so many in our community and beyond.”
A GoFundMe set up for Alexa’s son has raised over $96,000 so far.
The page states: “Alexa Lee Stakley was one of the best people you’d ever meet. She was beautiful inside and out and left a mark on this world in the short time she had.
“She was a speech language pathologist at Canal Winchester and was adored by her students. She was a coffee addict, loved anything with salt on it, and had a soft spot for trash tv. She was incredibly smart and sassy in the best way. She will be incredibly missed by the people’s lives she touched.
“This tragedy is truly one of the most heartbreaking terrible things imaginable and we just want everyone who knew her to be able to remember her in the best way they can. She was always smiling and laughing and never taking life too seriously.
“She is succeeded by her six year old son… and we want to make sure he has everything he needs moving forward.”