FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. – The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a 13-year-old girl and her grandmother after an escalating dispute ended with five juveniles trapped inside a park restroom, according to the sheriff’s office.
FCSO says deputies responded to Ralph Carter Park on May 25 after receiving a report of a stolen sweater and cellphone. Detectives determined the theft was connected to an ongoing dispute between two juveniles over a planned fight.
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The conflict began the day before, FCSO said, when Milan Pease, 13, of Palm Coast, attempted to provoke one of the victims into fighting at the park, pulling the victim’s hair before the two were separated.
That night, Pease and others drove to the victim’s neighborhood, calling and messaging several juveniles to come outside and fight.
The messages continued into the early morning hours, with Pease repeatedly demanding a fight and threatening to kill two of the victims through phone calls and social media messages, according to FCSO.
Both Pease and her grandmother, Allyson Pease-Frankel, 64, also of Palm Coast, warned they would bring a pit bull to the park.
The following afternoon, FCSO said a group of adults and juveniles arrived at the park in three vehicles, one carrying a pit bull. As the group advanced, the five victims fled into a public restroom and locked the door.
According to FCSO, Pease-Frankel walked directly toward the restroom with the dog, dropping the leash at the door, then pushed on it with enough force to make it flex while Pease kicked it multiple times. The victims remained trapped inside for several minutes until the group left.
While the victims sheltered inside, Pease took a cellphone, clothing, and other items from a nearby picnic table and discarded them in a retention pond behind the restroom, FCSO said. Deputies arrested her for felony grand theft based on the value of the cellphone.
“It is not uncommon for teens to have disagreements with one another, but violence is never the answer and can lead to lifelong consequences,” Sheriff Rick Staly said. “Rather than deescalate this situation, Grandma chose to run backup for this teen’s poor decisions and now she has earned herself a trip to the Green Roof Inn as well. Granny certainly won’t win the grandma of the year award. Parents and grandparents, act like adults and teach your children and grandchildren the proper and legal way to handle disagreements by modeling the correct behavior.”
“Summer break is in full swing, and children have plenty of time on their hands,” Staly added. “Let this be a reminder for parents and guardians to be the sheriff of your own home and know where your kids are at all times. Stay involved and talk to them about making good decisions and the consequences of their actions.”
After coordinating with the State Attorney’s Office, FCSO obtained warrants for Pease-Frankel on a charge of false imprisonment and for Pease on two counts of written threats to kill. Both were transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where Pease-Frankel is being held on a $5,000 bond. Pease was processed and transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice, according to FCSO.
The case remains active and ongoing.