A man who police say was connected to a robbery in Beverly Hills led authorities on a dangerous pursuit with his 2-month-old daughter in the car on Wednesday.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said the disturbing ordeal began with a call of an armed robbery involving three men in Beverly Hills. Those men were seen traveling in Hawthorne and then ditched the car they were traveling in. Two men were detained and a third suspect was seen driving away in a Kia sedan.
That third suspect, who is believed to have carjacked the Kia, then instigated a pursuit with his infant daughter and the baby’s mother in the vehicle. It is unclear when the two entered the car.
Ignoring police’s orders to pull over, the driver, who was later identified as 21-year-old Daiyaan Henderson, swerved through traffic, at times traveling on the wrong side of the road, and had close calls with other motorists. Henderson later encountered a dead end in Culver City on Shedd Terrace and Wrightcrest Drive, where several police cruisers blocked the suspect vehicle in.
While blocked in, Henderson surrendered to police and held up his young daughters to officers. The man’s girlfriend, who was seated in the backseat, then exited the vehicle and also surrendered to police.
“When a baby’s involved, it escalates everything and you have to be on top of your game, and I feel like everyone was at the top,” said sheriff’s deputy Tony Lomedico.
Video from NewsChopper 4 captured the driver surrendering to police and the woman being detained. The baby was handed over to law enforcement and was medically treated at the scene.
“My concern was the baby,” was sheriff’s deputy Adriana Martinez. “She was crying so I just wanted to comfort her. My motherly insects kicked in and I was just trying to soothe her, stop her from crying. We ended up taking care of her.”
LASD said deputies fed the child and changed her diaper before she fell asleep. She was described as being OK and has since reunited with her mother.
Officials said they released the baby’s mother from custody after determining she was the victim of a kidnapping in the incident.
Henderson faces charges including kidnapping, carjacking, armed robbery and ex-felon in possession of a firearm. LASD said he was livestreaming the car chase as he was driving.
