COLUMBUS, OH. (THECOUNT) — Ohio mother, Alexa Stakely, was tragically killed while trying to stop a car thief who drove off with her sleeping 6-year-old son inside the vehicle.
Alexa Stakely, 29, a dedicated speech-language pathologist at Canal Schools, died heroically attempting to save her son during the incident. Stakely had been picking up her child from his babysitter’s apartment in the White Oak Park Condominiums area around 1:30 a.m. Thursday when the tragedy occurred.
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According to police, Stakely had loaded her sleeping son into her Honda CR-V and returned to the apartment to retrieve something. While she was inside, a suspect jumped into her running vehicle and began to drive away. Stakely, in a desperate attempt to stop the thief, jumped onto the hood of the vehicle and yelled for the suspect to stop. Tragically, she fell off the hood and was critically injured.
Officers responded to the scene and found Stakely injured. She was transported to Mount Carmel East Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The vehicle was later found abandoned in the parking lot with Stakely’s son still sleeping inside, unharmed.
Stakely was a beloved member of the Canal Winchester Schools community, where she worked as a speech-language therapist for preschoolers at Winchester Trail Elementary. Known affectionately to her students as “Ms. Alexa,” she had been with the district for five years. In a heartfelt tribute on Facebook, the district praised Stakely for her dedication and passion for helping children develop their communication skills.
“Ms. Stakely’s family shared that she died heroically while trying to save her 6-year-old son during a carjacking. Thankfully, her son was not injured and is now with family. Please keep Alexa’s son, family, and friends in your prayers during this difficult time,” the district wrote. “She was smart and compassionate, and she cared so much about helping children develop their ability to communicate. She was a great mom who was incredibly dedicated to her son. Ms. Stakely made a difference in the lives of the students and families she worked with and will be missed by so many in our community and beyond.”
The post garnered numerous comments from parents, sharing how Stakely had positively impacted their children’s lives. One parent wrote, “She poured into all three of my younger boys and is a huge reason for my youngest two having such clear speech today. She will be deeply missed.” Another added, “This is absolutely devastating and heartbreaking. My son adored her the last 2 years, seeing her almost every day at school. She was an amazing speech pathologist and person and helped my son so much. Sending prayers upon prayers for her son and family.”
Police are actively searching for the suspect and are asking anyone with information or surveillance video to come forward. Those with information are urged to contact Detective Lemmon at (614) 645-2558 or RALemmon@ColumbusPolice.org, or to call Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-TIPS (8477).
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