Man drove away with infant after wielding knife at ex-girlfriend, Sacramento deputies say

A 33-year-old Sacramento man was arrested Sunday after sheriff’s deputies said he drove away with his child while making threats and wielding a knife at his ex-girlfriend.

The woman and the child were walking to their vehicle after grocery shopping at a south Sacramento store. A 33-year-old man, who fathered the infant, unexpectedly approached both of them, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman agreed to give her ex-boyfriend a ride when the suspect allegedly pulled a knife out and began to threaten the victim, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The woman pulled over in a parking lot and ran away to get help. That’s when the suspect climbed into the driver’s seat and drove away, deputies said.

By chance, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District personnel saw the man drive away while in the parking lot and began to follow him.

Firefighters alerted the Sheriff’s Office of the incident before the man pulled over in a park and ran away, the Sheriff’s Office said. Deputies searched the area and couldn’t find the suspect; firefighters rescued and returned the infant to its mother.

The next day, deputies were called about a suspicious vehicle near El Paraiso Avenue and Sampson Boulevard in the Lemon Hill area. When investigators approached the driver, he ran away and began jumping over fences in a residential neighborhood, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies established a perimeter as they realized the suspect was the same person who allegedly drove away with the baby, the Sheriff’s Office said. The man was found inside a van by deputies and K-9 officer Jack.

The 33-year-old man faces assault with a deadly weapon and resisting or obstructing a police officer charges. He also faces a probation violation stemming from a separate case, according to jail records.

The suspect is being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.