Texas
Texas teenagers tried to kill mother for turning off Wi-Fi: Police
Three teenagers in Texas have been arrested after allegedly coordinating an attack to kill their mother for turning off their Wi-Fi.
According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, police apprehended three siblings aged 14, 15 and 16, at their home in Houston, after they allegedly chased their mother through the house and into the street with kitchen knives.
She was hit with a brick, but not seriously injured. Their grandmother was also pushed over when trying to protect their mother, according to police.
Aaron M. Sprecher/AP Photo
Why It Matters
This incident raises questions over how addictive screens can be, and the impact internet use is having on children.
It isn’t clear at this time whether the household experienced other violent incidents before this one, or if this alleged event was a one-off outburst.
What to Know
Gonzales posted about the incident to X, saying: “Overnight, Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputies and detectives responded to a disturbance at the 3400 blk of Barkers Crossing Avenue.”
He then provided details of the alleged assault and stated that the teenagers were taken to the Harris County Juvenile Detention Center.
According to a paper from Allina Health, multiple studies connect violence and outbursts in children with screen time.
The paper, written by Dr. Aditi Garg, states excessive time spent on screens is linked in many studies to “school problems, anger, aggression, frustration, depression, and other emotional problems” in children.
Screen time can result in overstimulation and a lack of human interaction, which leads to attention issues and erratic behavior.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of 18 months have no screen time other than video chatting, that children aged 18-24 months have “high quality” screen time that involves the parent, and children aged two to five have one hour of “high quality programs” a day.
They do not provide guidance for older ages, but suggest that parents create a technology schedule with enforceable rules for their children to follow.
The organization Common Sense Media says that not all screen time is created equal and classifies screen time into passive, interaction, communication and content creation.
Where passive can be mindlessly scrolling or being on autopilot, other forms of screen time can be enriching and engaging when used correctly.
What People Are Saying
Sheriff Ed Gonzales said on X: “Because the mother turned off the Wi-Fi, all three grabbed kitchen knives and chased her throughout the house and into the street, attempting to stab her. The mother was struck with a brick. In the process, the grandmother was knocked over while trying to protect the mother. No serious injuries were sustained by either adult female.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics: “It is important to consider the specific activities that children and teens engage in on social media, and to support them in using social media in ways that strengthen their social, emotional, cognitive and identity development.”
What Happens Next
The three teenagers were charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon following their arrest.
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Texas
Texas man accused of killing pregnant wife allegedly cuts off ankle monitor and flees to Italy
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A Texas man facing charges for allegedly killing his pregnant wife has reportedly cut off his ankle monitor and fled abroad.
Lee Mongerson Gilley, 39, is accused of murdering his wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, and the couple’s unborn child in Houston in 2024, according to KPRC.
Gilley was set to appear in court Tuesday, but instead flew from Texas to Canada, and finally Italy, where he told authorities he was seeking asylum after being “wrongfully prosecuted” and is fearful of receiving the death penalty, his attorney told the outlet.
“I’m concerned that the prosecution will try to say that it’s evidence of consciousness of guilt that he’s running from it, but I think he’s just scared,” defense attorney Dick DeGuerin reportedly said.
NAVY RESERVIST ON ACTIVE DUTY ACCUSED OF MURDERING WIFE BELIEVED TO HAVE FLED TO HONG KONG
Lee Mongerson Gilley, 39, is accused of murdering his wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, and their unborn child in Houston in 2024, according to KPRC. (Christa Bauer Gilley/Facebook)
Gilley, whose murder trial was set to begin later this month, is reportedly in the custody of Italian authorities. His ankle monitor alerted authorities it had been tampered with on Friday, according to the outlet.
DeGuerin told the outlet that before Gilley can be returned to Texas, the state must certify to Italy that he is not eligible for the death penalty — which the prosecution is not seeking in his case.
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Gilley is accused of killing his wife, Christa, and their unborn baby by “applying pressure to [her] neck and upper back” on Oct. 7, 2024, according to charging documents obtained by People.
HUSBAND CHARGED IN PREGNANT PHYSICAL THERAPIST WIFE’S MURDER AFTER GIVING POLICE A DIFFERENT STORY
Defense attorney Ed McClees and his client, Lee Mongerson Gilley, appear in the 497th District Court at the Harris County Justice Center in Houston on Oct. 17, 2024. Gilley is charged with capital murder in the death of his wife, Christa Gilley. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
Prosecutors reportedly allege Gilley initially claimed Christa, who was nine months pregnant, had overdosed and that he had tried to save her with CPR, but a medical examiner later pointed to evidence of strangulation and ruled her death a homicide.
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After he was arrested days later, Gilley allegedly admitted his wife was not a drug user or suicidal, and that the couple had been arguing before her death, KPRC reported.
In 2025, while out on bond, prosecutors reportedly allege Gilley and an unnamed woman, whom he had an affair with in 2023, devised a scheme to flee to Mexico and other countries, according to the outlet.
MISSING FATHER OF 3 MAY HAVE FAKED HIS OWN DEATH AND FLED TO ‘SOMEPLACE IN EUROPE’: OFFICIALS
Prosecutors allege Lee Mongerson Gilley killed his wife, Christa Bauer Gilley, who was nine months pregnant, in Houston in 2024. (Christa Bauer Gilley/Facebook)
“The Defendant also inquired as to whether she knew of a Mexican identity he could acquire to facilitate his departure from the country,” the document said.
Gilley also allegedly “provided a detailed plan” to remove his GPS monitor and perform a sham marriage to obtain a new identity, prosecutors reportedly said.
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Authorities are working to extradite Gilley back to the country, according to KPRC.
Gilley’s defense attorney and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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