A Florida mom who was intentionally run over by a group of teens feuding with her son over a “romantic entanglement” has died, authorities said.
Suzette Penton, a Polk City librarian, succumbed to her injuries last week after she was mowed down by a dark van at her house on Nov. 9, news station WFLA reported.
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“I think everybody is still in shell shock,” said Polk City city manager Patricia Jackson. “We’re heartbroken. We’re just here to do whatever we can to help them.”
The group had shown up at the house wanting to fight Penton’s son over a “romantic entanglement,” according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Elijah Stansell, 18, was behind the wheel and was joined by Raven Sutton, 16, Kimberly Stone, 15, and Hannah Eubank, 14, news station WFTV reported.
Stansell is dating Stone, the ex-girlfriend of Penton’s son, the outlet reported. His name has not been released.
“This was an ongoing dispute between a group of kids, via social media, texting,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Carrie Horstman told WFLA.
“I think there was some verbal altercations at school. It has never risen to the level of physical violence.”
When the teens started attacking Penton’s son, his mom went outside to confront them and take pictures of their van, authorities said.
“They purposely and intentionally ran her over and critically injured her,” Horstman said.
“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.”
The four teens were charged with attempted murder, but upgraded charges are pending, authorities said.
Penton was brought to the hospital with a traumatic brain injury and several broken bones, but doctors ultimately were unable to save her, the outlet reported.
She was remembered in the wake of her death as a “Mama Bear,” always protective of her kids, WFLA reported.
“I can understand her putting herself in harm’s way to protect her children,” Jackson said.