PEORIA, AZ – An Arizona mother is allegedly responsible for an incident at a local park where she is accused of running over a young girl and issuing threats against other children, prompted by her belief that these kids were bullying her own children, local police confirmed.
Brandie Gotch, 30, is currently facing an array of serious charges, including a count of attempted premeditated murder. The authorities explained that the disturbing event unfolded in broad daylight at WestGreen Park in Peoria on Tuesday afternoon.
As per the incident report in the court documents, Gotch arrived at the park in her white Chevy Silverado around 4 p.m. Subsequently, she engaged in a heated verbal confrontation with a group of children. The police added that Gotch seized a 14-year-old boy by the hair, tugging his head in various directions while aggressively shouting at him. The court documents further claimed that Gotch retrieved a sharp stick from her vehicle and charged at the boy, threatening to kill him and run him over.
The police said Gotch then climbed into her truck, her four kids inside, and drove at high speed towards a group of 15 children standing in the park. According to the police, Gotch drove across the rock landscape of the park, striking and injuring a girl’s ankle.
As the police described, Gotch continued driving through the park while the terrified kids fled. She subsequently returned to her vehicle and rapidly left the park. Some aspects of the incident were captured on camera, aiding the police to track Gotch down to her residence and arrest her.
During her interview with the detectives, Gotch contended that her reaction was triggered when she saw a group of preteens pelting wood chips at her children. She believed one kid punched her 10-year-old daughter.
The mom revealed that she confronted the group. However, the situation escalated when they insulted her with a derogatory term. On this account, the court records detailed that she pulled a boy from the group and warned him against repeating the insult.
While Gotch confesses to grabbing a stick and walking towards another insulting boy, she denies ever issuing any threats. The police affirmed that Gotch acknowledged putting her truck in reverse before charging through the park. In regards to the injured girl, Gotch insists she doesn’t recollect running over the girl, expressing hope that she didn’t.
Gotch, during her testimony, stated that her children were the victims of constant bullying by the kids at the park. She claimed that despite reporting it to the school and local authorities, no effective action was taken.
Following her arrest, Gotch was remanded in custody. She is now facing six counts of endangerment, four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of aggravated assault involving a deadly weapon, and a count of attempted premeditated murder.