Mom of Teen DART Suspect Took Son Back to Station

Mother says her son got mixed up with "the wrong crowd of boys"

The mother of a 14-year-old who is one of four juveniles accused of killing a 19-year-old at a Dallas Area Rapid Transit station says she took her son back to the station to report the crime.

The teenager and three other juveniles ages 12 to 14 allegedly pushed Octavius Lanier into a DART train during a botched robbery in November.

Sandra Gage said her son immediately rushed home and told her what happened.

"I took him back to the train station," she said. "If it weren't for my son, they wouldn't even found the other boys."

Even though Gage's son came forward, officers said he is still responsible for Lanier's death.

"He don't have any friends," Gage said. "He don't have no friends. He just caught up with the wrong crowd of boys. My son don't have a criminal record."

Police said the group of boys tried to rob Lanier while he was on a DART train at the MLK Station near Fair Park. The fight escalated onto the platform, where Lanier was pushed into a moving train.

A judge will decide if her son and the other three juveniles will be certified as adults. If so, they would face much harsher penalties. A hearing on Friday was postponed until Feb. 10.

"It's just a wait," Gage said. "I put it in the good Lord's hands. That's all I can say."

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