A mother’s protective instincts usually bring families together, but police say 36-year-old Kaila Partlo took things to a dangerous extreme. In a case that has left Saginaw residents shaken, Partlo is accused of orchestrating a violent confrontation involving her teenage boyfriend and her own daughter’s boyfriend. What started as a dispute over how a young man treated her daughter ended with a gunshot fired at a teenager’s head and a high-speed getaway.
The trouble began when Partlo drove her 16-year-old boyfriend from Oxford toward the intersection of Irving Park Boulevard and Irving Park Place. Also in the car was her daughter’s 16-year-old boyfriend. According to prosecutors, Partlo was deeply upset about the way the boy had been treating her child. She allegedly lured him out of the car by asking him to place some of her cards on a nearby fence, creating a moment of vulnerability that nearly turned fatal.
As the boy turned his back to do what she asked, he heard a noise and looked back toward the vehicle. He saw Partlo’s boyfriend leaning out of the car window, pointing a handgun directly at him. A single shot rang out, aimed toward the teen’s head. Luckily, the boy’s reflexes saved his life; he dropped to the pavement just in time, and the bullet missed. Without checking to see if he was hurt, Partlo allegedly sped away with her boyfriend, leaving the victim stranded and terrified.
In the chaos of the escape, the victim realized he didn’t even have his phone to call for help. His brand-new iPhone 16 was still inside Partlo’s car. He managed to find a nearby home where a kind neighbor let him use a phone to call 911. While the victim was talking to emergency dispatchers, Partlo’s boyfriend was busy trying to cover their tracks. He later admitted to smashing the expensive phone and tossing it out the window as they fled toward Flint.
The cover-up didn’t last long. Using the “Find My” feature, police tracked the phone’s signal to Robinwood Avenue, where they found the shattered device lying near a curb. Detectives then used the city’s Flock license plate reader cameras to trace Partlo’s car all the way back to her home. When investigators searched her house, they found a 9mm handgun tucked away in a safe. Records showed Partlo bought the gun back in 2020, but she had never officially registered it.
During her first interview with police, Partlo tried to take the entire blame herself to shield her teenage boyfriend. However, she eventually changed her story, admitting she just didn’t want the boy to get into trouble. Her boyfriend, now 17, is facing several serious charges in the juvenile court system. Meanwhile, Partlo appeared in court on December 17 to face a charge of accessory after the fact to a felony.
If she is convicted, the 36-year-old mother could spend up to five years in prison and face a $10,000 fine. For now, she is out of jail after posting a $25,000 bond, but her legal battle is far from over. She is expected back in front of a judge on January 5 to determine the next steps in a case that highlights how quickly a family disagreement can spiral into a life-threatening crime.
