Tulsa Mother Defends Young Son Charged In Deadly Crime Spree

Lori Fullbright, News On 6

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The mother of a Tulsa boy arrested in a deadly crime spree over the weekend said he's a good student, a talented athlete and has never been locked up before.

Jaime Turner, 15, is one of four teenage boys accused in the crime spree that included car jackings, a home invasion, a shooting and a car crash that killed another boy. 

Police said the four suspects were robbing as a way to survive, but Turner's mother said that's not the case.  She said people are quick to blame the parent but that she was doing her best to keep Jaime out of trouble.

Latroy Turner said she has mementos that are proof her son is not a thug roaming the streets, looking for crimes to commit. She points to his football championship, his basketball wins and his many medals of accomplishment.

She says he was a good student, not a juvenile delinquent.

6/14/2011 Related Story: Police Arrest 4 Juveniles In Deadly Tulsa Crime Spree

"This is not Jaime Turner," said Latroy Turner. "The Jaime Turner everybody knows, this is him. This is him. My son got baptized January 16th, 2011."

She says a week ago Thursday, Jaime left and didn't come back, so the next day she called the juvenile bureau and requested a runaway warrant, which they issued Monday.

She says she then called police and asked them to find Jaime.

"I pleaded with her, asked her please, go find my son before he ends up dead on the streets," Turner said.

She says family and friends also searched all week until she got a text from him on Friday saying someone was trying to kill him, and he couldn't come home.

The next day, police say Jaime and three other boys went on a crime spree that ended with them chasing and shooting at another car load of boys, causing them to crash and a 16-year-old passenger was killed.

LaTroy says she didn't know any of the boys Jaime was arrested with.

"I broke down. Really couldn't believe it cause that's my son, and I love him. I don't understand why people act like I'm a bad parent. I do anything for my kids. I love my kids."

LaTroy says it's been hard raising Jaime and his sister all by herself, but she's done her best and doesn't like people saying he's a troubled teen.

"What they should have said is my son has been through a lot in the last five years," she said. "He lost his father, didn't get to go to the funeral, lost an auntie, lost a cousin just March 31st, so he's going through a lot right now. If anything, I want them to get my son some help."

Before this situation, she says her biggest concern was deciding where Jaime would go to school for his freshman year this fall.

Her focus now is now is getting Jaime a lawyer. She says she'll stand by her son and they'll get through this situation together.