Young Pennsylvania teens are charged as adults in the fatal beating of 73-year-old James Lambert, Jr. in Philadelphia and the mother of one of those teens, 14-year-old Gamara Mosley, sat down with Fox29’s Alex Holley on Friday to apologize for her daughter’s actions.
“All social media about me and my child is not true. I’m not a bad mom,” mom Shara stated.
Gamara’s grandmother and family attorney Lonnie Fish were also present. Much of the attack was caught on surveillance video.
“What do you say to some people who looked at that video and say, ‘How could a good kid be capable of something like that, beating a 73-year-old man with the traffic cone to his death?” Holley asked.
“It’s the other kids and, you know, bad influence. She probably didn’t know, didn’t mean to do it,” Shara answered.
The elderly victim, James Lambert Jr., was walking on the 2100 block of Cecil B. Moore Avenue when he was brutally attacked by a group of juveniles, four boys and three girls, around 2:30 a.m. on June 24.
“Since her dad’s gone, it’s just…things are different cause we ain’t got that family no more, like we used to have. We used to be in the house and stuff like that as a family,” Shara explained. “She’s going through a lot.”
“Why was it important for you to talk to us?” Holley asked.
“That’s my daughter and I care. And, like I said, she wasn’t with me when it happened. She snuck out that night and been with some bad friends,” Shara answered.
“So, she’s never snuck out before?” Holley asked.
“No,” Shara replied.
“Well, Shara do you have a message for James Lambert, Jr.’s family?” Holley inquired.
“I just want to give my condolence and apologize. I’m really sorry it happened. I’m sorry as a parent. She’s sorry. It’s all I can say, I’m just sorry,” Shara answered.
Last weekend, two brothers surrendered to authorities in connection to the fatal attack. A 14-year-old boy, identified as Richard Jones, has been charged as an adult with murder and criminal conspiracy after investigators say he was the first to hit the elderly man with a traffic cone.
His 10-year-old brother was reportedly released after not being charged with crime.
