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Carter Raleigh, son of Cincinnati-based TV station WCPO 9’s Chief Meteorologist Steve Raleigh, has been accused of attacking an elderly couple at a Montgomery Inn parking lot on June 22.
The elderly couple’s daughter, Stacie Morrow-Stickrod, addressed the incident on Facebook on July 11. She said the other party, who was not abiding by the traffic rules, hit her father's truck. Stacie's father suspected the other group had been drinking as he caught the smell of alcohol, and wanted to call the police. However, the other party was against involving the law enforcement authorities and attacked the couple.
Stacie claimed her 76-year-old mother received several injuries and her brother, who was in the car with her parents, was also attacked. She shared video recordings of the assault and an update on her mother’s health. Stacie did not name the perpetrators, reasoning that the case was still under investigation, and said she wanted the culprit to get arrested first.
However, Steve Raleigh’s son Carter Raleigh’s name appeared on a traffic crash report by the Cincinnati Police Department. The 28-year-old was listed as a motorist involved in an accident with Douglas Nathaniel Morrow, 79. The report also listed Leis as the owner of the vehicle Carter was driving.
A screenshot of Stacie's post was shared under the Reddit page r/cincinnati, where outraged netizens expressed their thoughts on the alleged culprit, Carter Raleigh, and his father, Steve Raleigh.
Some said details about the case were being removed from public reach. They claimed Steve Raleigh likely used his influences to sweep things under the rug.
Another person mentioned how Carter is the grandson of attorney Simon L. Leis Jr., who is a former Hamilton County sheriff, adding it was less likely for the 28-year-old to face any consequences for his alleged action.
WCPO 9 releases statement following assault allegations against Steve Raleigh's son Carter Raleigh
The elderly couple's daughter, Stacie Morrow-Stickrod, detailed the injuries her mother suffered. She wrote on her Facebook post:
"My 76 yr-old-mom took the brunt of the injuries that night. She was in UC hospital for a few days and is still continuing to be treated. She was knocked unconscious and had a concussion, fractured skull, bleeding on the brain, contusion on the back of her head that was stapled shut and the lens that was put in her eye was detached and needs replaced. She had lots of cuts and bruises to her arms and legs."
Stacie added that her 79-year-old father was also knocked unconscious and had a concussion. She asked the witnesses who recorded the incident to send her a video recorded from a better angle where the culprit's face could be seen:
"I just want all the witnesses to come forward and any videos that were made because their were lots of witnesses."
Stacie claimed the perpetrators were "locally famous" and believed they were "above the law". She also expressed her unrest that no arrest had been made since the attack:
"I feel like there has been so much time that has past with no arrest made and continuing to watch my mom struggle is hard to swallow."
The video shared by Stacie had graphic demonstrations of the attack and how it left her parents with severe injuries.
As words spread that local weatherman Steve Raleigh’s son Carter was supposedly the one who attacked the elderly couple, WCPO 9’s vice president and general manager Jeff Brogan released a statement on July 12:
"We are aware of the incident involving Steve Raleigh’s family. It is still under investigation, and at this time no charges have been filed against anyone."
Brogan wrote Steve shared his account of the incident with the company's higher-ups and his statement was consistent with the traffic police report, where the meteorologist was not named. He continued:
"...and with what we have reviewed on video. The video does not show the incident from start to finish. We will continue to monitor official findings."
Netizens noted that Steve Raleigh's social media profiles appeared to be removed or deleted following the online circulation of the news.
