
Officials in Polk City are reporting that a mother who was run over by a group of teens while defending her son has died from her injuries.
Suzette Penton died last week after intentionally being run over by 18-year-old Elijah Stansell, and three other teens, ages 16, 15, and 14 who sought to fight her son due to a “romantic entanglement.”
According to the report, the four teens went to Penton’s home and attacked her son. The teens reportedly knocked on the front door, however, Penton son came out of a side door to see who knocked. The teens then ran after Penton’s son as he tried to run inside the home and began jumping him. At the same time, Penton came home to witness the incident. The teens then ran off to their vehicle that was parked across the street from the home. That’s when Penton began taking pictures and video of the teens to show to police.
The teens then reportedly swerved to the side of the road where Penton was standing and ran her over before driving away.
“They purposely and intentionally ran her over and critically injured her,” said Polk County Sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Horstman. ” They had ample opportunity and space to get out of that area as she stood there in the street to take pictures of them to give to law enforcement. Instead, they ran her down in the road.”
Penton was left with a traumatic brain injury and several broken bones before succumbing to her injuries.
The teens were initially charged with attempted murder, however, those charges held the possibility of being upgraded pending on Penton’s condition.