A Palm Coast teenager and her 64-year-old grandmother were arrested after a juvenile dispute at Ralph Carter Park spiraled into threats, the theft of personal items and a tense locked-restroom confrontation, authorities say. The teen faces a grand theft charge and two counts of written threats to kill, while investigators say the grandmother was booked on a false-imprisonment charge. The park, a regular hangout for kids, pickup games and skate sessions, drew sheriff’s deputies late last week during Memorial Day weekend as tempers flared.
What deputies say
Investigators told reporters the conflict grew out of an ongoing online and in-person disagreement between two juveniles and then spilled into the park on May 25. Five juveniles went to Ralph Carter Park, and detectives say a separate group of adults and juveniles later arrived, including one person with a pit bull. That sighting, according to deputies, sent some teens running into a restroom, where they locked the door.
As reported by WFTV, deputies allege the teen kicked the restroom door repeatedly while the grandmother moved toward the restroom with the dog, preventing the victims from leaving for several minutes.
Allegations and charges
According to the station, investigators stated that “the conflict started as a persistent disagreement between two juveniles over a planned fight,” and said the teen then took a cellphone, clothing and other belongings that had been left near a picnic table. Detectives later found the items discarded in a nearby retention pond, and the juvenile was arrested on charges of grand theft and two counts of written threats to kill.
Authorities say 64-year-old Allyson Pease-Frankel was booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on a $5,000 bond, and the minor was turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice, as reported by WFTV.
Park history and safety
Ralph Carter Park, listed by the City of Palm Coast at 1385 Rymfire Drive, has been the scene of earlier scuffles and at least one shooting that drew countywide attention, prompting calls for extra patrols and safety upgrades. The city has described planned improvements to lighting and field management at the park, and local reporting has documented prior violent episodes at the site. For background, see coverage by FlaglerLive.
What happens next
All charges are allegations, and the cases will move forward in adult court for the grandmother and through the juvenile justice system for the minor. Pease-Frankel’s booking location and the county detention facility address are listed by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, which asks anyone with information to contact deputies. The sheriff’s office has not yet released additional details about court dates or possible further charges, and residents are directed to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office for contact information.
