Brandie Gotch: Arizona mom, 30, faces attempted murder charges after allegedly driving towards children in park altercation
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PEORIA, ARIZONA: Brandie Gotch, a 30-year-old mother from Arizona, has been taken into custody and faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and numerous counts of endangerment. This follows an incident where she purportedly drove her vehicle towards a girl at WestGreen Park in Peoria.
On Tuesday, February 27, the incident transpired, raising concerns about increasing tensions linked to accusations of bullying involving her children.
Brandie Gotch allegedly sped toward 15 kids standing in a park
As per court documents, Gotch, accompanied by her four children in a white Chevy Silverado, allegedly accelerated towards a group of 15 children in the playground area of the park, subsequent to a prior altercation.
In a disturbing sequence of events, she allegedly ran over a girl's ankle before hastily fleeing the scene on 87th Avenue.
The troubling incident was not isolated to the park attack. Before the vehicular assault, Gotch is said to have confronted a 14-year-old boy, pulling his hair and threatening him with the words, "I am going to kill you and run you over," reported the AZ family. She was also reported to have wielded a sharp stick, retrieved from her truck during the altercation.
None of the underage individuals involved in the incident have been publicly identified.
Brandie Gotch said the group of children bullied her kids
During interviews with detectives, Gotch asserted that her actions were a reaction to the ongoing bullying her children purportedly endured at school and, subsequently, at the neighborhood park.
Despite reporting the bullying to school authorities and law enforcement, the mother maintains that no action was taken.
The altercation at the park reportedly escalated when Gotch witnessed the group throwing wood chips at her children, with one punching her 10-year-old daughter.
A video capturing the incident depicts the 30-year-old mother confronting a 14-year-old boy, grabbing his hair, and chasing him with a sharp stick. However, Gotch denies making threats.
The confrontation escalated when a second boy followed Gotch to her truck, prompting a high-speed maneuver towards the playground area where at least 15 juveniles were present.
Allegedly, the vehicle ran over a girl's ankle, resulting in "lacerations and swelling," before swiftly speeding away from the scene.
Gotch has been charged with attempted murder and multiple other offenses
Gotch's children, unrestrained in the vehicle, reportedly bounced around during the incident. She was apprehended at her residence later that day and has been booked into jail on charges of attempted first-degree murder.
Additional charges include six counts of endangerment, four counts of aggravated assault, and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Peoria Police Department's Officer Zach Lekan stated, "This is still an active investigation with numerous interviews and witness statements still being processed." Her bond has been set at $250,000.
