Rock Hill teen charged with strangling her mother at motel, video of incident seized
A teenage girl is in South Carolina custody and charged with strangling her mother at a Rock Hill motel in an incident where police have video of the attack, officials said.
The suspect, 17, was charged Saturday as an adult with attempted murder, said Lt. Michael Chavis of the Rock Hill Police Department. The suspect’s name has not been released because of her age, police said.
The victim is the mother of the suspect, Chavis said. The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment and is recovering, Chavis said.
Officers went to the Howard Johnson motel on Riverview Road Saturday morning after 8 a.m. after the suspect’s grandmother reported to police that the victim had been choked and could be dead, Chavis said.
At the motel, police found the victim alive on a bed with ligature marks on her neck, Chavis said. Police located the suspect and took her into custody, Chavis said.
While at the motel, police were notified that a video of the incident had surfaced, officials said.
“While on scene, detectives received a call that there was video of the incident showing the 17-year-old strangle her mother and leave her in the hotel room,” Rock Hill police said in a written statement.
Police have the video in evidence but declined to release the video or give details about the video. Chavis said police received several calls from people in at least two other states who claim to have seen the video online.
The suspect was taken to a S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice detention center because of her age, police said. A conviction as an adult for attempted murder can carry up to 30 years for a conviction under South Carolina law.
This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 1:28 PM.
