Police in Ohio are currently seeking two male suspects in connection with the tragic death of a 29-year-old woman who was fatally injured while attempting to prevent the theft of her vehicle, which had her sleeping 6-year-old son inside.

According to Columbus police, officers responded to an apartment complex at approximately 1:30 a.m. following reports of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. They discovered Alexa Stakely lying in the roadway with severe injuries. Despite immediate medical attention, she succumbed to her injuries at a hospital several hours later.

Stakely, a dedicated single mother juggling two jobs, had just finished her waitress shift and was picking up her son from his babysitter’s home when the incident occurred. After carrying her sleeping son to her Honda SUV parked outside the babysitter’s home, she briefly entered the residence to retrieve one of the boy’s belongings. It was during this time that her vehicle began to reverse into the roadway.

"As she returned to her SUV, it began to back out into the roadway," police stated in a news release.

Stakely rushed toward her vehicle in an attempt to intervene but tragically was struck and thrown to the pavement. The perpetrators subsequently drove the SUV through the apartment complex before abandoning it a short distance away. Responding officers swiftly located the vehicle and safely recovered the sleeping child, who was unharmed.

Following the incident, witnesses observed two males fleeing past Stakely, who lay injured in the roadway. The suspects evaded capture by jumping a fence and disappearing into a neighboring apartment complex, according to police reports.

Earlier that same morning, surveillance footage captured a group of males behaving suspiciously in the vicinity of Castenea Way, including looking into apartments. When confronted, they retreated further into the complex and out of sight. Police noted that two of these individuals matched descriptions of those seen near the location where Stakely had collected her son.

At the time of reporting, Columbus police had not responded to requests for additional commentary on the ongoing investigation.

Stakely, affectionately known as "Ms. Alexa" to her students at Winchester Trail Elementary School, where she served in the preschool program as a speech-language pathologist, had been an esteemed member of the Canal Winchester Local Schools District for five years. Colleagues and administrators fondly remembered her as a devoted mother deeply committed to her son's well-being.

"Alexa was deeply passionate about children and speech-language therapy," affirmed the district in a statement. "She was recognized for her intelligence, compassion, and unwavering dedication to helping children develop their communication skills."

"Ms. Stakely leaves behind a lasting impact on the lives of her students and their families. She will be greatly missed, not only within our community but far beyond," the district concluded solemnly.