PITTSBURGH – A man is accused of kidnapping his 1-year-old daughter in East Pittsburgh, generating an Amber Alert, after entering an argument with the baby’s mother on Thursday, investigators said.
The Pennsylvania State Police issued the Amber Alert shortly after 5:30 pm, after the girl was taken away by her 20-year-old father, Giante Thomas. Shortly after 8 pm, the alert was canceled after the girl was found safe.
The incident started around 12:30, when Thomas went to the girl’s mother’s house on Bessemer Avenue. Police said Thomas and the child’s mother started an argument about custody and he allegedly aimed a gun at her head and threatened to kill her several times. Thomas then bit the girl’s mother on the wrist while she held the girl and took the girl out of the house, police said. He left in a white jeep with his mother’s phone.
Some time later, the SUV was located in the city’s Windgap neighborhood. A SWAT team and US police officers helped the state police into a nearby house, at block 3700 on Windgap Avenue, where they could safely rescue the girl.
The girl was taken to a hospital for observation and reunited with her mother, police said.
“In fact, I don’t allow my kids to go out because you never know what’s going on here,” said Nachalin Ramsey, who lives nearby.
Here is a map showing where the girl was rescued:
Three people, including Thomas, were arrested. Thomas faces 10 charges, including theft, terrorist threats, simple assault and endangering a child’s well-being. Police said Thomas also had several pending warrants.
The other two people arrested were not identified.
State police said it was worrying that Thomas was supposed to have a gun, and they admitted that there was a delay in sending Amber Alert to the general public. It is not clear what caused the delay. State officials said they had started an internal investigation.