Two teenagers were arrested Wednesday in the death of an Ohio single mother who was killed when her SUV struck her while she was trying to stop a carjacking with her young son in the back seat, police said.
One of the suspects taken into police custody is 16-year-old Rayon Hawkins, who admitted to trying to steal Alexa Steakley’s car with some friends earlier this month when he panicked and hit her with his Honda, authorities said.
Columbus police said Steakley, 29, was struck by a vehicle and hit his head on the pavement after a group of friends abandoned their car a short distance away and fled on foot.
Hawkins turned himself in to police headquarters on Wednesday accompanied by his parents.
The boy described the fatal crash, which happened around 1:30 a.m. on July 11 outside Stakely’s babysitter’s home.
“Hawkins stated that he and two acquaintances were looking for a vehicle to steal when they saw Steakley’s Honda,” police said in a Wednesday statement.
“With two of Hawkins’ friends looking on, Hawkins got into Steakley’s vehicle and attempted to drive away, but Steakley appeared in front of the Honda. Hawkins stated she panicked, drove off and struck Steakley with her vehicle.”
Columbus police announced the arrest of a second suspect, a 16-year-old, just hours after confirming Hawkins’ arrest.
Both men have been charged with murder, police said.
The second juvenile’s name has not been released, but police said he admitted to being present at the scene of the attempted theft of Steakley’s SUV.
A third suspect in this tragic incident remains at large.
Ahead of the two arrests, authorities released photographs of the suspects they were searching for.
Authorities previously said Stakely put her sleeping 6-year-old child in her car but then rushed back to the babysitter’s house because she forgot something. When the working mother returned to her car, she saw the SUV pull out onto the road again and heard the child screaming.
She was hit by a car and taken to a local hospital in critical condition, where she later died; her young child was unharmed.
A graduate of Ohio State University, Steakley worked as a speech-language pathologist in the local school district and also worked a side job as a waitress to help support her young children.
