COLUMBUS, Ohio — A mother has died after she tried to save her son who was inside her vehicle that was briefly stolen in southeast Columbus Thursday morning, police said.
Columbus Police Sgt. Joe Albert said the incident happened in a condominium complex near Gender Road just before 1:30 a.m.
Albert said the mother, identified by police as 29-year-old Alexa Stakely, was at the complex picking up her 6-year-old son from a babysitter. Stakely put the sleeping child in her Honda CR-V, which was left running.
She went back to pick up something from the babysitter when Albert said at least one suspect got inside the SUV and began driving away.
Albert said she got on the vehicle's hood, yelling for the driver to stop. The vehicle was driving erratically through the complex while she was still on the hood.
Stakely fell off the hood and sustained critical injuries, according to Albert. At some point, the driver stopped and abandoned the vehicle.
She was taken to Mount Carmel East Hospital where she later died. Officers found the SUV in the apartment complex with the 6-year-old boy unharmed and still asleep.
Police say two males were seen running past Stakely while she was lying in the middle of the road. They ran north and were seen jumping a fence before disappearing into a neighboring apartment complex.
Earlier in the morning, police say surveillance video caught a group of males looking into apartments in the area of Castenea Way. When confronted, the males ran eastbound. Two of the males matched the description of the males who ran past Stakely.
Canal Winchester Schools released a statement saying Stakely was a speech-language pathologist in the district.
Police are asking anyone who may have video of the incident or anyone loitering in the area to send it to them here or scan the QR code below.
Police also released a photo of a map showing the path of the Honda and where the males ran to after the incident.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Lemmon at 614-645-2558 or RALemmon@ColumbusPolice.org or call Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477.
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