A 19-year-old Gordon County man is behind bars after police say he attacked his mother in a parking lot, stole her SUV and led officers on a chase that topped out near 100 mph before ending in a crash in Gordon County. Elijah Jase Parker allegedly choked his mother while she sat in the driver's seat of her own vehicle, refused to let her out, and threatened to shoot it out with police rather than be arrested.
According to WBHF Radio, Parker allegedly began choking his mother while she sat in the driver's seat of her 2004 Chevrolet Tahoe and would not let her out of the vehicle. She managed to escape and ran to a nearby Five Guys restaurant, and officers who responded observed red marks on her neck and throat, the station reports. A conflicting detail has emerged over whether her identity was ever officially released: WBHF named her, while Fox 5 Atlanta reported that authorities had not released the mother's identity or provided an update on whether she required additional medical help.
Mother Feared She Would Black Out
The woman told police she feared she would lose consciousness during the struggle but managed to break free and run for help, according to WSB-TV. She also told investigators that her son had threatened to engage in a shootout with officers if they tried to arrest him, the station reported. After she got away, Parker allegedly fled the scene in her stolen Tahoe.
Investigators used a phone location ping to track Parker and the stolen SUV to the Adairsville area, per the same WSB-TV account. Once officers located the vehicle, Parker allegedly refused to stop, touching off a pursuit that stretched across county lines.
Chase Hit Nearly 100 MPH Before Crash
The pursuit reached speeds reported between 70 and 98 miles per hour, the station notes, as Parker fled with officers in tow. The chase ultimately crossed into Gordon County, where authorities say Parker lost control of the Tahoe and struck a maroon Kia Optima that was stopped at a stop sign, according to WBHF's report. Officers pulled Parker from the wreck and took him into custody at the scene, with emergency crews responding to treat those involved.
After he was read his Miranda rights, Parker allegedly admitted that he had been trying to kill his mother, placed a plastic bag over her head, and stole the car, the station reports. That alleged confession lines up with the account his mother gave police, in which she said she believed he would have killed her had she not escaped.
Charges Pile Up Across Two Jurisdictions
Parker now faces charges of aggravated assault by strangulation, false imprisonment and felony theft by taking, according to WBHF's reporting. Separately, Adairsville police charged him with felony attempting to elude a police officer, reckless driving, driving without a license and six other traffic violations, the station notes. He was also driving the stolen SUV without a license, authorities say.
The case echoes warnings from domestic-violence researchers about strangulation as a red flag in abuse cases. The Georgia Domestic Violence Fatality Review Project states that use of strangulation both indicates an increase in the severity of abuse as well as a higher risk of lethal violence. The project also cites a study finding that the likelihood of becoming a homicide victim increased sevenfold for women who had been strangled by their partner, and notes that non-fatal strangulation was known to have occurred prior to the lethal incident in 23 percent of the fatality cases it reviewed.
As later reported by the New York Post, the violent encounter unfolded in a parking lot before spiraling into a two-county chase that ended in a crash with an uninvolved driver caught in the middle. No further update on the medical condition of either the mother or the other driver has been made public.
