Son held after Cartersville chase

Elijah Parker, 19, is in custody after police said he tried to strangle his mother and fled in a high-speed chase that covered two counties. The incident began outside a Cartersville grocery store on October 30, 2026. Parker remains jailed on multiple felony and traffic charges.

Police describe the attack as sudden. Cartersville Police Capt. Greg Sparacio said Parker started choking his mother without warning while they were in a parked vehicle. "Out of the blue, he just started choking her. She felt she was going to lose consciousness," Sparacio said. The woman escaped his grip and ran into a nearby business for help. Parker then took her car and drove away.

Officers broadcast a lookout for the vehicle. A few hours later, police in Adairsville spotted the car. Parker refused to stop and accelerated, pushing the speedometer to nearly 100 mph. The chase moved from Bartow County into Gordon County. Parker hit another vehicle and knocked down a stop sign before officers caught up with him.

Investigators spoke with Parker after the arrest. He told police he intended to kill his mother and failed because she got out of the car. "He was questioned as to why he ran, he did say that his intent was to kill his mother, and he failed because she had escaped the vehicle," Sparacio said. Parker faces felony charges for aggravated assault, theft by taking, and false imprisonment. He also has more than 10 traffic violations and a charge for driving without a license.

Sparacio noted that the event occurred during October, which is domestic violence awareness month. He said the case shows how quickly disputes can escalate. "A son was actively trying to kill his mother by his own admission," Sparacio said. Police treat every domestic disturbance with high urgency because situations can change in seconds.

Authorities have not released the mother’s name or detailed medical updates since the strangulation. They also have not shared the extent of injuries to the driver in the other car Parker struck in Gordon County. The case is now with Bartow County court officials.

The pursuit spanned roughly 100 miles per hour at its peak. It crossed the line between Bartow and Gordon counties. Parker is the primary suspect in the crash and the assault. His mother is not named in the public reports.