'She was my best friend': Mourners pay homage to Ohio mom killed in attempted carjacking

"An amazing human being."

"She was my best friend."

"The most determined human I've ever met."

These statements and more like them were used to describe 29-year-old Alexa Stakely, who died one week ago, early July 11, while trying to stop thieves from stealing her vehicle with her 6-year-old son sleeping inside.

On Wednesday evening, more than 100 people gathered in the parking lot of Canal Winchester Local Schools' Winchester Trail Elementary School for a memorial vigil to pay homage to the young single mother who worked at the school as a speech-language pathologist but also had a part-time job as a waitress to support her son.

Her friends and colleagues said Stakely had aspirations of owning her own home and her own business. Those who knew her said she was loyal to her friends and family and loved her son "fiercely."

As attendees stood next to each other and listened to stories from family, friends and colleagues of Stakely, many were stoic, some wearing sunglasses, partly because of the sun but also to hide tears. Some visibly dabbed tears from their faces with tissues as speakers swapped stories about how they came to know "Ms. Alexa" and how she impacted their lives and their children's lives.

Arnetta Davis, who leads Canal Winchester School District's crisis response team, organized Wednesday's vigil to allow the community a space to help heal.

"Nobody should have to go through this alone," Davis said. She said she was "devastated" when she learned of the circumstances surrounding Stakely's death and said that no parent should have to go to such lengths to protect their child.

LaRoy Thornton, 53, of Canal Winchester, recalled his time as interim principal at Winchester Trail Elementary School and first meeting Stakely. The memory that sticks out to him the most, he said, was how Stakely was the first person to speak to him during his time at the school.

"I was devastated when I found out what happened," Thornton said. He said his mother was also a single parent, adding a personal layer to Stakely's death.

Thornton said that Stakely was a "big part" of the school community and that it would take time for the wounds of her loss to heal.

'And the next thing I knew, I was looking over her'

Braedyn Price, 21, said that he woke up at 4 a.m. July 11 to a phone call saying that his sister, best friend, and mentor, Alexa, had been hit by a car. He said he initially didn't believe it. Then, he thought she had suffered some moderate injuries but that she'd recover.

"And the next thing I knew, I was looking over her body," Price said.

"It's still very hard for me to grasp," Price told the mourners. He said that since his sister's passing, he just feels "empty" and that he's had trouble sleeping. He also said that he is angry at the people who are responsible for her death.

"She was an amazing human and my best friend," Price said.

Alexa Stakely dies trying to stop the theft of her vehicle

Alexa Stakely , 29, died early July 11 after she was struck by her own SUV. Stakely was picking up her 6-year-old son from her babysitter's residence on the 6300 block of Blue Knoll Drive at the White Oak Park Condominiums on Columbus' Southeast Side at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday following a waitressing shift, according to police.

Stakely went back to the babysitter's doorway to retrieve her son's belongings after placing the sleeping boy in her SUV when she saw the vehicle suddenly pulling out of the driveway.

Columbus police homicide detectives say Stakely suffered a fatal head injury when she fell to the ground after the thief driving her vehicle struck her. Witnesses told police they saw two male suspects running on foot past Stakely lying on the ground and after the SUV, which was being driven by a third suspect. The trio apparently decided to abandon the vehicle in the parking lot of the apartment complex and left on foot, police said Wednesday.

The three suspects apparently felt comfortable and knew the area, police said.

Stakely's son was unhurt in the incident. Bodycam footage showed he told a Columbus police officer he slept through the vehicle's theft.

On Tuesday, Columbus police released videos and still shots of three suspects wanted in connection with Stakely's death. The suspects were seen wandering through nearby apartment complexes and condominiums, police said.

Hours before the vigil, police released additional surveillance footage of the three suspects as two of the them chased the third driving Stakely's Honda during the vehicle theft. They abandoned the Honda nearby in the apartment complex and fled the scene into some neighboring apartment complexes, police said.

Police are seeking additional video and any information about the suspects in the footage and have provided a QR code and a link where people can submit evidence .

Anyone with video or photo evidence that could assist with the investigation can submit it to Columbus police online , and anyone with information about Stakely's killing can reach the lead detective, Detective Lemmon, at 614-645-2558 or RALemmon@ColumbusPolice.org or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477. All calls to Crime Stoppers are anonymous.

smeighan@dispatch.com

@ShahidMeighan

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 'She was my best friend': Mourners pay homage to Ohio mom killed in attempted carjacking