A robbery suspect has been arrested after leading police on a high-speed pursuit while his infant child was also in the vehicle.
A 21-year-old man, identified by Fox Los Angeles as Daiyaan Henderson, is now in police custody, the news station reported on Thursday, July 18.
According to the outlet and NBC Los Angeles, the incident followed an armed robbery involving three men in Beverly Hills on Wednesday, July 17. After driving through Hawthorne, two of the individuals were arrested in South Los Angeles, but Henderson reportedly stole a Kia sedan and continued to evade authorities.
“Today, our deputies from South Los Angeles Sheriff Station and Marina Del Rey Sheriff Station were led on a high-speed pursuit by an armed robbery suspect throughout Los Angeles,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said via Facebook.
“Unbeknownst to the deputies in pursuit, the suspect was driving recklessly with his girlfriend and 2-month-old baby inside the vehicle,” their statement continued.
In addition to police helicopters monitoring the pursuit, the activity inside the car was also documented as Henderson live-streamed while driving.
His girlfriend was heard in the footage pleading with him to stop the vehicle.
“Pull over and put your hands up,” the woman begged off-camera in a video obtained by Fox LA. “My baby is in the car, Daiyaan!”
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department added that after “learning of the dire situation, deputies ensured the utmost care and consideration while maintaining their officer safety in the highly tense situation.”
In a press conference held after the arrest, South Los Angeles Deputy Tony Lomedico said Henderson was “driving like a mad man.”
-
The chase ended when the driver encountered a dead end in Culver City on Shedd Terrace and Wrightcrest Drive.
Lomedico continued, “In situations like these, the bad guys use the baby as a shield. And it’s a great moment of cowardice, that when you witness it, you kinda — it pumps the brakes on everything.”
“As a father, you just can't put yourself in that position.”
South Los Angeles Deputy Adriana Martinez was seen in footage holding and gently rocking the baby after the chase and spoke to reporters as well.
“I saw she was just crying, so I just wanted to soothe her,” the deputy said at the press conference. She added that she wanted to make sure the 2-month-old was “okay,” and checked to see if she needed “any kind of medical attention.”
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
“We are proud of these deputies, who went from chasing an armed violent suspect to cradling a small child within mere moments and without hesitation,” the sheriff's department said.
The mother of the infant was not arrested after authorities determined she was the victim of a kidnapping.
Henderson is reportedly being held without bail.
He was booked on charges of felony evading and seven felony warrants, including kidnapping, carjacking, armed robbery and ex-felon in possession of a firearm, Fox LA NBC LA said, citing jail records.
Semaj Lopez, 24, and 19-year-old Michael Smith were identified as the other men involved in the Beverly Hills robbery.
Related Articles
Follow Us