3 arrested in death of Alexa Stakely, Ohio mom killed trying to save son in carjacking

COLUMBUS, Ohio — All three suspects wanted in connection with the death of Alexa Stakely, an Ohio mom struck while trying to prevent the theft of her vehicle with her 6-year-old son inside, have been taken into custody, authorities said Wednesday evening.

A 16-year-old male whom police say admitted he was driving Stakely's vehicle turned himself in and is being charged with delinquency murder in Franklin County Juvenile court, Columbus police said. The second male, 17, was taken into custody Wednesday afternoon.

The Columbus Dispatch, part of the USA TODAY Network, is not naming the two minors.

A third male, Gerald Dowling, 19, turned himself in Wednesday night, according to Columbus police. Authorities later confirmed that Dowling was charged with murder.

Police said the 17-year-old male admitted to detectives that he was present during the attempted theft of Stakely's vehicle. Additional details regarding what he would be charged with were not immediately available Wednesday.

The 16-year-old, accompanied by his parents, surrendered himself at Columbus police headquarters and agreed to an interview with detectives, authorities said. The teen later told detectives that he and the two other acquaintances were looking for a vehicle to steal around 1:30 a.m. on July 11 when they came across Stakely's Honda.

What happened to Alexa Stakely?

Stakely, 29, a single mother who was a speech-language pathologist for Winchester Trail Elementary School in Canal Winchester, Ohio, also had a part-time job as a waitress to support her son. She was picking her son up after a waitressing shift.

Stakely brought the sleeping boy out to her Honda CRV, which she left running, while she met the babysitter in the doorway to get the boy's belongings, police said.

As Stakely returned to her vehicle, she saw someone inside beginning to back out onto the road. Stakely ran out toward the Honda and was heard screaming for her child and telling the driver to stop, police said.

As his two friends watched, the 16-year-old told detectives he got into Stakely's vehicle and was about to drive off when Stakely ran out to stop him. Police said the teen told detectives that he panicked and began driving off, striking Stakely with her vehicle.

Police said the Honda hit Stakely and she was knocked to the pavement, suffering a "fatal wound" to her head. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The 16-year-old abandoned the Honda within the same complex. Witnesses saw two males running north, past where Stakely was on the ground, jumping a fence and escaping into a neighboring apartment complex, police said. The three regrouped a short time later on foot, police said.

Stakely's son was recovered uninjured and told police he slept through the attempted carjacking.

'She was my best friend'

More than 100 people gathered near Winchester Trail Elementary School last week to pay tribute to the young single mother. Stakely's friends and colleagues said she aspired to own a home and business. Those who knew her said she was loyal to her friends and family and loved her son "fiercely.

Stakely's brother, Braedyn Price, also attended the vigil. Price, 21, said that he woke up at 4 a.m. on July 11 to a phone call saying that his sister, best friend, and mentor, Alexa, had been hit by a car. He said he initially didn't believe it and then thought she had suffered some moderate injuries but that she'd recover.

"And the next thing I knew, I was looking over her body," Price said. "It's still very hard for me to grasp."

Price said that since his sister's passing, he just feels "empty" and that he's had trouble sleeping. He also said that he is angry at the people who are responsible for her death.

"She was an amazing human and my best friend," Price said.

Violent carjackings in the U.S.

Carjackings have significantly increased in some U.S. cities since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Council on Criminal Justice. Carjackings surged by 93% in 10 cities from 2019 to 2023 and while the figure fell by 5% in 2023, data showed that the rate of carjackings was still high compared to years before 2020.

The rise in carjacking rates — along with other violent crimes — have prompted authorities, including in the nation's capital, to provide more resources and crackdown on crime.

Since 1992, federal, state, and local authorities have tried to toughen carjacking laws in response to spates of violent carjackings — including some incidents in which victims were murdered. One incident is credited to have prompted a federal response.

In September 1992, Pamela Basu, 34, was dragged to her death after two carjackers pushed her out of her vehicle while she was at a stop sign. Basu was driving her 2-year-old daughter to her first day of preschool.

During the incident, Basu's arm got caught in a seatbelt and she was dragged for one and a half miles after she attempted to reach for her daughter in the back seat, according to The New York Times Archives. The two perpetrators were convicted of murder and other charges.

The murder of Basu shocked the country and outraged members of Congress, according to a North Carolina Central Law Review article. Congress quickly passed the Federal Anti-Car Theft Act of 1992 and former President George H. W. Bush signed it into law in October 1992.

Contact Shahid Meighan at smeighan@dispatch.com or on X @ShahidMeighan