Teens having conflict at school led to adults assaulting a juvenile, SC cops say
A conflict between teenagers at a South Carolina school spilled over into the public, and two adult women were arrested for their involvement in the attack, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
The women, 31-year-old Autumn Watkins and 26-year-old Alexi Watkins, are the mother and another family member of one of the teens, the sheriff’s department said Thursday in a news release.
The assault happened just before 8 p.m. on April 29 in the 1800 block of Lake Carolina Drive, according to the release. That’s in the part of Columbia near Lake Carolina.
Deputies responded to a call about a fight in the area, and encountered a small but chaotic crowd, the sheriff’s department said. One of the juveniles involved in the altercation was still there when deputies arrived, and the law enforcement officers learned that teen was having an ongoing conflict at school with another juvenile, who had left the scene, according to the release.
The school conflict escalated into a fight between both juveniles, the sheriff’s department said.
During their investigation, deputies found a video of the attack, according to the release. The video showed that as the conflict escalated, Autumn Watkins — the mother of the juvenile that fled the scene — as well as another adult family member Alexi Watkins, assaulted the juvenile who was at the scene when deputies got there, the sheriff’s department said.
On May 15, both Autumn Watkins and Alexi Watkins turned themselves in at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, according to the release. Both women were each charged with third-degree assault and battery, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and cruelty toward children, the sheriff’s department said.
Both women had their bonds set at $10,090 on the combined charges and each were posted Monday, Richland County court records show. Both women are scheduled to return to court on July 25, according to court records.
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This story was originally published May 22, 2025 at 1:22 PM with the headline "Teens having conflict at school led to adults assaulting a juvenile, SC cops say."
