An Arizona man allegedly kidnapped his ten-month-old son by jumping into his mother’s minivan and quickly drove away Wednesday, killing the mother while desperately trying to hold on to the vehicle.
Eric Maes was captured in Phoenix and charged with murder by the murder of Brittany Martie, 30, on Tuesday, Peoria police said in a statement.
Martie was carrying her baby in her minivan out of her home in Peoria when Maes jumped into the driver’s seat and started running away with the child inside, police said.
According to witnesses, the young mother grabbed the moving car and was thrown as she drove away.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found Martie had fatal injuries. She was rushed to a local hospital, where she died.
Police immediately issued an amber alert for the missing baby, which was found safe around 1 a.m. north of Phoenix after police responded to a report of an abandoned child.
Martie had sole custody of her son, police said.
Maes, 30, was taken to the headquarters of the Peoria police department where he was interrogated.