Mother, 3 young children, shot at over text message

YORK, S.C. — York police said a young mother dropped her boyfriend's cellphone and broke it, during an argument over a text message. Moments later, as she drove away, she was shot at with three young children in her car.

Her boyfriend, Timothy Meeks, 24, was charged with attempted murder.

The gunshots happened as she drove on Ridgewood Lane in York, after dropping Meeks off at his home.

One bullet blew out a rear tire, another cut her brake line.

As she reached a stop sign at California Street, she heard one last shot.

By then, her tire was flat and she had to push the brake pedal all the way to the floor to stop the car.

She was too terrified to stop.

Her three children, ages 2, 4 and 5 were in the backseat.

She managed to drive 25 minutes to Blacksburg at Interstate 85 before she felt safe enough to stop.

Vaughn Adams has lived in the neighborhood for almost 30 years. She's glad Meeks has been arrested and charged, but can't understand how anyone could do this.

"Why would a person do that with kids in the car? So evidently you don't care. You don't have no conscience for nothing," she said. "It's a sad situation."

York police Detective Bill Stiles said this could have been tragic.

"He let his anger rise to the point that he could have killed some of these children," Stiles said.

Meeks is in jail on multiple charges, including four counts of attempted murder.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

• Gastonia man faces murder charge after Mount Holly shooting
• 15-year-old drove minivan during chase, deadly crash, sources say
• Agreement to end 'bathroom bill' but are there enough votes?
• Old ammunition dug up at Frito-Lay factory in southwest Charlotte
• WATCH: Keith Monday's Thursday morning forecast
• VIDEO: Daughter believes attack on father in Washington was hate crime

Cox Media Group