Left: Ralph Carter Park in Palm Coast, Fla. (City of Palm Coast). Right: Allyson Pease-Frankel (Flagler County Sheriff”s Office).
A Florida grandmother set a bad example for her teenage granddaughter when she inserted herself into the girl’s quarrel with other kids by locking them into a park bathroom, cops say.
Deputies in Flagler County wrote in a Facebook post that they arrested 64-year-old Allyson Pease-Frankel for false imprisonment while her 13-year-old granddaughter faces two counts of written threats to kill and one count of grand theft in juvenile court.
The spat between the girl and the other teens began on May 24, when the girl allegedly tried to “provoke” one of the victims into fighting at Ralph Carter Park in Palm Coast. According to cops, the teen pulled her rival’s hair, but the two were quickly separated. Later, the teen went to the victim’s neighborhood and tried to spark another fight, but nothing came of it. Deputies responded to the scene, determined the incident was a verbal argument and left.
On May 25, Pease-Frankel joined the fray, cops said. The grandma allegedly said she would bring a pit bull to the park for the fight. Her granddaughter threatened to kill two of the victims, deputies said.
When it was time to rumble, Pease-Frankel and her granddaughter met the five teens at the park, pit bull in tow, cops wrote. The victims ran into a bathroom and locked the door.
“With the five victims locked inside, Pease-Frankel pushed on the restroom door with enough force to make it flex, and [her granddaughter] kicked the door multiple times. The victims, who had called for help, were unable to leave and remained trapped for several minutes until the group left the park.”
Sheriff Rick Staly said Pease-Frankel should have taught her granddaughter to de-escalate the situation instead of encouraging her to fight.
“It is not uncommon for teens to have disagreements with one another, but violence is never the answer and can lead to lifelong consequences. Rather than deescalate this situation, Grandma chose to run backup for this teen’s poor decisions,” he said in a statement.
“Granny certainly won’t win the grandma of the year award,” the statement continued. “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.”
The school year for kids in the Sunshine State recently ended and summer break is just beginning.
“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,” said Staly.
Pease-Frankel was arrested Thursday and taken to the Flagler County Jail, where she has since posted a $5,000 bond. Her granddaughter was taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice.
