Police: Man admits deliberately hitting baby’s mother with stolen van
Suspect held on $2-million bail
PEORIA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - A Phoenix-area man accused of kidnapping his infant son and causing the death of the child's mother, has told police he hit her with her stolen minivan on purpose.
The incident happened Tuesday night in Peoria. Police say 30-year-old Eric Maes jumped into his former girlfriend's minivan and took off with it, and the couple's 10-month-old son.
At first it looked like 30-year-old Brittany Martie was critically injured trying to stop the van. However, on Thursday investigators announced Maes had confessed to hitting her with the vehicle intentionally. The couple was in the middle of a custodial battle over the little boy at the time of the incident.
Related: Arizona baby survives car theft- mother dies from injuries suffered during incident
Peoria Police immediately issued an Amber Alert for the baby. Hours later, officers found him safe and sound in one location, and the stolen van in another.
Later in the afternoon, officers received a tip on Maes' location based on the alert. They arrested him after a short foot pursuit.
Eric Maes remains behind bars on $2-million bail. He faces charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, child endangerment, and car theft.
