EAST POINTE, Mich. (FOX 2) – In July, Eastpointe police responded to a call about a burglary and suspected attempted murder.

During the course of the investigation, police say something sinister came to light about the teenager in the home in the 24000 block of Ravenna. Police say she and her 17-year-old boyfriend hatched a plan to kill her mother so they could stay together.

“The minor daughter had met another minor through a social media app,” said Eastpointe principal Corey Haines. “They decided together that they would kill the mother.”

The girl’s mother did not know about her daughter’s boyfriend and decided to take away her daughter’s phone because there were several problems at home, police said.

In the early hours of July 14, the girl left the door of her house open so her boyfriend could come in and strangle her mother in her bed.

“He went into the mother’s bedroom and tried to smother her with a body pillow on the bed,” Haines said. “And then he started choking her.”

The mother screamed and the teenager’s brother and grandmother intervened and told the 17-year-old to leave. He did so – but left something behind.

“His shoes were there,” Haines said. “And we think he took them off to be quieter.”

When the suspect fled, a knife from the victim’s house was also found on the street.

The mother was taken to hospital but will survive her injuries. She told police that the girl was a “problem child” and had a criminal record.

And after nearly two months of investigation, Eastpointe police took the 14-year-old daughter and her 17-year-old boyfriend into custody.

Both were charged as adults by the Macomb County District Attorney’s Office.

According to police, social media provided the crucial evidence from the 14-year-old’s account.

The 17-year-old faces several charges, including conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

The 14-year-old is accused of, among other things, incitement to murder.

“The man was given bail of $2.5 million, so I can’t imagine him going anywhere anytime soon,” the police chief said. “And the woman was given bail of $1 million, so they’re both being held.”

The names of the teens are not being released because of their age, and Haines says the investigation shocked the police department.

“I don’t know if we’ve ever seen anything at this level from this age group,” he said.

As the investigation continues, police want to make it clear that everything you do on social media leaves a trace.

“Nothing is secret,” Haines said. “If you use social media, you can uncover and find anything.”