An Arizona man allegedly kidnapped his 10-month-old son by jumping into his mother’s minivan and speeding off on Wednesday – killing his mother as she desperately tried to hold on to the vehicle.
Eric Maes was captured in Phoenix and charged with manslaughter for the murder of Brittany Martie, 30, on Tuesday, Peoria police said in a statement.
Martie was carrying her baby in her minivan outside her home in Peoria when Maes jumped in the driver’s seat and started driving with the child inside, police said.
Witnesses say the young mother grabbed the moving car and was thrown away as it drove away.
When the police arrived at 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, which was found safely around 1 am in northern Phoenix, after police responded to a report of an abandoned child.
Martie had exclusive custody of her son, police said.
Maes, 30, was taken to the Peoria Police Station, where he is being questioned.