'Very disturbing': Teens in jail after strangling, poisoning, punching grandmother, police say

by DAVID CHASANOV 

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Two Oklahoma teens are in police custody after being accused of strangling, punching and trying to poison an elderly woman.

Oklahoma City police officers said the incident involves a 75-year-old grandmother, her granddaughter and her granddaughter's boyfriend. The grandmother was driving the boyfriend home with her granddaughter also in the car.

"Very disturbing and upsetting," said Antonio Mojica, the male suspect's brother.

Police said when the grandmother made it to the 17-year-old's place, the boy became a suspect.

The grandmother had stated to me that my brother had physically grabbed a rope," Mojica said. "[He] not once, but twice tried to put it over her neck and strangle her. They both were unsuccessful."

According to investigators, the woman was able to lift her hands up, blocking the rope from strangling her. But then her 18-year-old granddaughter Madison Barnett punched her in the face.

"She did have a mark on her left side of her neck," Mojica said.

The woman called 911, and the couple ran off to a drainage ditch nearby, where police found them.

The report says the 17-year-old told officers he wanted to slit their throats, strangle them and cut their heads off, among other threats.

The couple faces an aggravated assault and battery charge. Records show Barnett is also facing a charge of poisoning food, drink, medication or water.

Mojica said he believes this all started because his brother was upset with Barnett's grandmother, for controlling how much time the couple spent together.

He has stated to me that the grandmother had not let him personally stay more nights with [Barnett]," Mojica said. "Basically, they weren't getting their way."

Mojica said he has been told about other times the couple planned to kill the grandmother.

They were trying to figure out how to kill her, dispose the body. Also, he had took the rope and practiced multiple times on [Barnett] how to choke her," he said.

Police said this crime appears to have been premeditated. According to Sgt. Dillon Quirk, incidents involving couples and family members aren't uncommon.

"It's unfortunate that it was a family matter," Quirk said. "Nevertheless, we investigate it all the same."

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'Very disturbing': Teens in jail after strangling, poisoning, punching grandmother, police say