Log in

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

Mother sentenced for driving pickup through Peoria park full of kids: County Attorney

'It is never OK to take our rage out on a kid,' Rachel Mitchell

A 41-year-old woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for driving her pickup truck through a Peoria park that authorities said was filled with children.

Brandie Gotch had pleaded guilty …

You must be a member to read this story.

Join our family of readers for as little as $5 per month and support local, unbiased journalism.


Already have an account? Log in to continue.

Current print subscribers can create a free account by clicking here

Otherwise, follow the link below to join.

To Our Valued Readers –

Visitors to our website will be limited to five stories per month unless they opt to subscribe. The five stories do not include our exclusive content written by our journalists.

For $6.99, less than 20 cents a day, digital subscribers will receive unlimited access to YourValley.net, including exclusive content from our newsroom and access to our Daily Independent e-edition.

Our commitment to balanced, fair reporting and local coverage provides insight and perspective not found anywhere else.

Your financial commitment will help to preserve the kind of honest journalism produced by our reporters and editors. We trust you agree that independent journalism is an essential component of our democracy. Please click here to subscribe.

Sincerely,
Charlene Bisson, Publisher, Independent Newsmedia

Please log in to continue

Log in
I am anchor
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

Mother sentenced for driving pickup through Peoria park full of kids: County Attorney

'It is never OK to take our rage out on a kid,' Rachel Mitchell

Posted

A 41-year-old woman has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for driving her pickup truck through a Peoria park that authorities said was filled with more than a dozen children.

Brandie Gotch had pleaded guilty to three counts of aggravated assault. She ran over a 12-year-old girl during the February 2024 incident at Westgreen Park, according to a release Saturday from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Gotch’s children were fighting with each other at the park when other kids at the park “were egging them on and recording the altercation,” the release stated.

“As this was happening, Gotch arrived at the park to pick up her kids. While walking them back to her truck, a boy on the playground called her a name. Gotch went over to him and started pulling him by his hair. A second boy called her a name, and she chased him around the park with a stick.”

Gotch then got into her truck with her children as “the second boy stood behind the truck, dancing and mocking her. He eventually moved away to stand by his sister,” authorities stated in the release.

Gotch backed out of the parking space, revved her engine and drove at the boy and his sister. He was able to jump out of the way, but his sister’s leg was run over. Gotch kept driving through the park where more than a dozen other children were at the time, including some who had to run to get out of the truck’s path, according to the release.

Gotch was arrested at home a short time later.

“This could have been a much more tragic situation,” Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said.

“Thankfully the worst injury in this was a sprained ankle and some bad scrapes and bruises. Even when angry or frustrated, it’s up to adults to act like adults. It is never OK to take our rage out on a kid.”

Share with others