Two Eastpointe teenagers planned to kill the mother of one of the teenagers in revenge for having her cellphone confiscated as punishment for violating house rules, according to police.

The two – a 14-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy – were arrested and are being held on high bail. The arrests followed a lengthy investigation that included information from social media, police said.

Eastpointe Police Chief Corey Haines said the police department was shocked by the allegations.

“I don’t know if we’ve ever seen anything at this level from this age group,” he told Fox 2 Detroit.

According to a press release, the incident began at 4 a.m. on July 14 when police received a report of a burglary and attempted murder from the 24000 block of Roxana Avenue in the Stephens-Kelly Road neighborhood.

Officers learned that the victim had been sleeping in her bedroom when she was awakened by a stranger who took a side sleeper pillow and held it in front of her face. The man then jumped on the woman and began choking her with his hands.

The woman screamed for help, and the girl’s grandmother came into the room. When the grandmother screamed at the stranger, he let go and fled the house on foot, adding that he was “sorry,” police said.

The suspect left his shoes behind as he fled. Investigators believe he took his shoes off when he broke into the house to conceal his movements.

Police also found one of the victim’s kitchen knives on the street where the suspect fled. The victim said he must have picked up the knife from the kitchen counter and dropped it as he ran away. She did not see him armed with a knife when he strangled her, the release said.

According to police, the victim suspects her daughter was involved in the crime. She told officers her daughter was a “problem child” with a criminal record as a juvenile. She further said her daughter did not like to follow the house rules and was upset that her cell phone was taken away as punishment.

The woman was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the accident.
Attack, police said.

An extensive investigation was conducted, which included the execution of numerous search warrants, review of surveillance footage from the area, and conducting interviews.

During the investigation, the suspects were identified. Police said they discovered that the victim’s daughter met the suspect through a social media app and that a relationship developed between them. They planned to kill the victim so that they would have “more freedom to be together.”

The Macomb County District Attorney’s Office charged both teens as adults, but authorities are not releasing them because of their age.

The man was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, which carries a penalty of life imprisonment without parole or a minimum term of 25 to 40 years and a maximum term of at least 60 years. He was also charged with assault with intent to murder.

The prosecution charged the woman with incitement to murder, a crime punishable by life imprisonment or
any duration and conspiracy to murder.

According to police, bail was set at $2.5 million for the man, while bail was set at $1 million for the female suspect.

Originally published: August 20, 2024 at 16:25