An Arizona man is said to have kidnapped his 10-month-old son by jumping into the mother’s minivan on Wednesday and killing the mother while desperately trying to cling to the vehicle.
Eric Maes was imprisoned in Phoenix and charged with manslaughter for the murder of 30-year-old Brittany Martie on Tuesday, Peoria police said in a statement.
Martie was loading her baby into her minivan in front of her home in Peoria when Maes jumped into the driver’s seat and drove away with the child in it, police said.
Witnesses say the young mother grabbed hold of the moving car and was thrown away when driving away.
When officers arrived on the scene, they discovered that Martie had life-threatening injuries. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she died.
Police immediately issued an Amber Alert for the missing baby, who was found safe in Northern Phoenix around 1 a.m. after police responded to a report of an abandoned child.
Martie had custody of their son, police said.
Maes, 30, was taken to Peoria Police Headquarters where he is being questioned.