Nicole Poole Franklin Sentenced To 25 Years In Prison For Running Over 2 Kids In Hate Crimes

Nicole Poole Franklin has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for a race-related attack on two different children.

Franklin, a white woman, used her Jeep Grand Cherokee to hit a 14-year-old Latina girl and a 12-year-old African-American boy in December 2019.

Poole Franklin stated that she hit the 12-year-old boy because of his race, claiming he was “just like ISIS” because he appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent. “He’s not supposed to be there, and he’s going to take me out,” Poole stated, according to prosecutors. The boy’s older sibling was standing right next to him but escaped the incident unscathed.

Shortly after, she purposely rammed into Natalia Miranda, driving over a sidewalk to strike before driving away from the unconscious girl. Miranda suffered serious bodily injury, including physical pain, cuts, bruising, swelling and a concussion.

“I’m screaming, I’m crying, I’m like how did this happen? What happened? I was just a girl walking to a basketball game,” Miranda told KCCI. “I didn’t deserve this; I didn’t deserve to get hit by a car.”

Poole Franklin also indicated that she attacked the girl because of her race. Court documents show that she claimed that Latino people were “takin’ over … our homes, and our jobs,” and that they did not belong in the United States.

“Holding Poole Franklin accountable, not only for her intentional actions, but for the malicious beliefs behind them, is what our justice system should be, and [must be] to provide just punishment, afford adequate deterrence, and protect the public from further crimes by this defendant,” stated Richard D. Westphal, the Southern District of Iowa’s acting U.S. attorney.

Poole Franklin pleaded guilty to the attacks on the two children. She also admitted guilt for two attempted murders that took place in May. She has a history of mental illness and substance abuse.