Georgia Teen Arrested After Attack on Mother and High-Speed Chase

Elijah Parker allegedly choked his mother while they were sitting in her SUV outside a grocery store in Cartersville, Georgia. She escaped and ran to a nearby business for help. Police Capt. Greg Sparacio said she feared she would lose consciousness during the attack. Authorities also said Parker put a plastic bag over her head.

Parker drove away in the SUV. About two hours later, officers in Adairsville spotted the vehicle and tried to stop it. Police said he sped away, reaching nearly 100 mph as the pursuit crossed into Gordon County.

The SUV crashed into a Kia stopped at a stop sign and knocked down a stop sign, authorities said. The Kia’s driver reported leg pain after her airbags deployed. Officers arrested Parker at the scene.

Sparacio said Parker told investigators he intended to kill his mother and had failed because she escaped. Parker is being held on 12 charges, including aggravated assault by strangulation, theft by taking, false imprisonment, fleeing police and reckless driving. He also faces a charge of driving without a valid license.

Sparacio said domestic violence can affect any community and that officers treat domestic disturbances with urgency because they can escalate quickly.