COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Franklin County grand jury indicted a 19-year-old man on three charges in the death of 29-year-old Alexa Stakely.
The grand jury returned a three-count indictment on Friday, charging Gerald Dowling with involuntary manslaughter, grand theft of a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property. Dowling was originally charged with murder.
Stakely was killed trying to stop her vehicle from being stolen as her 6-year-old son was asleep in the backseat. The incident happened on July 11 at an apartment complex on the southeast side of Columbus.
Stakely arrived at the complex around 1:30 a.m. that morning to pick up her son from her babysitter's apartment. Police said she initially brought the boy to her Honda CRV, which she had left running, then returned to the babysitter's unit to get the child's belongings.
As she returned to her vehicle, Stakely saw someone starting to back it out onto the roadway and she ran toward the SUV, screaming for her son and telling the driver to stop.
Stakely was struck by the vehicle and knocked to the pavement, suffering a head injury. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The suspects abandoned the car a short distance away from where Stakely was struck, police said.
Surveillance video released by Columbus police shows two of the three suspects running behind Stakely's SUV just after it was stolen. Police say those two suspects met up with the driver once the car was abandoned and all three continued northbound.
One of the suspects, a 16-year-old boy, turned himself into police and admitted to stealing the vehicle and hitting Stakely with it. The teen said that he and two others were looking for a vehicle to steal when they saw Stakely's Honda, police said. As the two friends watched, the teen said he got into Stakely's SUV and was about to drive off when she appeared in front of the vehicle.
Police identified and interviewed a second 16-year-old boy who they said admitted to being present during the incident. Police said Dowling later admitted to his involvement in the incident as well. He is being held on a $10 million bond.
Both 16-year-olds have been charged with murder. Prosecutors are wanting to try them as adults.