A father in South Carolina attacked the mother of his 3-year-old child and then drove south to Georgia, where he crashed his car while being chased by law enforcement on Interstate 85.
Deputies from Anderson County, South Carolina, saved the child from the vehicle after it caught fire following the accident in Franklin County, Georgia, about 14 miles from the state line. Medical personnel transported the child by helicopter to a trauma center. The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office provided this information.
The person who kidnapped the child was apprehended by Georgia law enforcement. The Georgia State Patrol is looking into the collision.
A spokesperson from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office named Shale Remein told WYFF that deputies went to a residence in Belton, where they discovered the assault and abduction.
“Deputies from Anderson County were trying to find the vehicle on I-85 when they saw the suspect and the child,” Remein explained. “As deputies attempted to position themselves to surround and stop the suspect, the vehicle quickly crossed over into Georgia.”
She mentioned that authorities from Georgia joined the pursuit. The perpetrator crashed at the Carnesville/Toccoa exit.
“Without delay, deputies from Anderson County removed the child from the burning car and quickly flew him to a nearby trauma center,” Remein stated.
One of the Anderson County deputies received treatment at AnMed Medical Center for burns on the hand and has been released. The condition of the child is unknown.
The suspect has been identified as 32-year-old Joshua Dornellas by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, WNEG reported. He has been charged with multiple offenses, as reported by the station.
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