A Palm Coast grandmother and her teenage granddaughter are facing serious criminal charges after authorities say they used a pit bull to trap a group of juveniles inside a public restroom.
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office arrested 64-year-old Allyson Pease-Frankel and 13-year-old Milan Pease following a chaotic incident at Ralph Carter Park on May 25. What was initially reported as a stolen sweater and cellphone turned out to be the climax of an escalating feud over a planned fight.
According to investigators, the trouble started the day before when Pease tried to pick a fight with one of the victims at the same park. The two got into a brief scuffle where hair was pulled before bystanders separated them. Later that night, Pease and several others drove to the victim’s neighborhood, sending messages and demanding the juveniles come outside to fight. Deputies showed up, broke up the argument, and told everyone to leave.
But the threats continued into the early morning hours. Detectives say Pease sent a series of social media messages and phone calls demanding a fight and threatening to kill two of the victims. Both the teenager and her grandmother also warned they were going to bring a pit bull to the park.
That afternoon, five juveniles walked to Ralph Carter Park. Soon after, a group of adults and teenagers pulled up in three vehicles, bringing a pit bull with them. Seeing the group approaching, the five victims ran into a public restroom and locked the door to hide.
Authorities say Pease-Frankel walked directly toward the restroom with the dog and dropped its leash right at the door. Her granddaughter and the rest of the group followed close behind. With the five victims locked inside desperately calling for help, the grandmother pushed on the door hard enough to make it flex, while the teenager repeatedly kicked it. The victims were trapped inside for several minutes until the crowd finally left the park.
While the victims were hiding, Pease allegedly grabbed a cellphone and clothing they had left behind on a nearby picnic table. Detectives later found the stolen items dumped in a retention pond behind the bathroom.
The sheriff’s office secured arrest warrants for both family members after working with the State Attorney’s Office. Pease was charged with two counts of written threats to kill and felony grand theft. Pease-Frankel was charged with false imprisonment.
“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.”
Pease-Frankel was booked into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and held on a $5,000 bond. Her granddaughter was processed and handed over to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
“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.”
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