Dad arrested for throwing baby into traffic; occurred during visitation (Oakland, California)

Dad JOHN TAYLOR has been arrested after he threw his 18-month-old daughter into oncoming traffic and then attacked witnesses and police who were trying to subdue him. The "incident" took place during Daddy's visitation time. And whose decision was it that this fruitcake should have visitation? Would be very interesting to know.

http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_15491654?source%253Dmost_emailed.26978592730A3B8C7F471EACE0DA4EF2.html

Oakland man arrested after throwing baby into traffic
By Harry Harris and Sean Maher
Staff writers
Posted: 07/11/2010 10:31:55 AM PDT
Updated: 07/12/2010 08:43:33 AM PDT

http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_15491654?source%253Dmost_emailed.26978592730A3B8C7F471EACE0DA4EF2.html

OAKLAND — A 21-year-old man was arrested Saturday after he threw his daughter into oncoming traffic and then attacked witnesses and police who were trying to subdue him, authorities said.

The 18-month-old girl was not badly injured.

The wheels of an oncoming Volkswagen Jetta did not touch her, but she was burned and scraped by the car's undercarriage, police said.

The suspect, John Taylor, was stunned with a Taser and suffered minor injuries. Police did not release the girl's name but said she lives with her mother in an East Bay city.

She was visiting her father Saturday, and they had been at a friend's house. Police were still unsure Sunday afternoon why Taylor acted as he did.

The incident began about 5:30 p.m. Saturday when an off-duty police officer saw Taylor pick up and shake the girl on Fifth Avenue near East 15th Street, then toss her into a traffic lane, investigators said. She then was hit by the Jetta, and the officer gave chase to Taylor after a neighbor came to the car and pulled her out.

That neighbor was Diana Castro, who said the elderly couple in the Jetta was confused about what was happening, but stopped the car. Castro heard the commotion from inside her home, ran to the car and pulled her out from under.

"The baby was completely under it. It was scary because if the lady driving it accelerated at all she could run it over," Castro said.

"When I took the baby, it continued crying and I thought, that's a good sign. She's still breathing in. She was so scared, she was grabbing my neck and couldn't stop crying. I was asking people, 'Whose baby is this?' and nobody knew."

As he ran, Taylor was pounding on and kicking cars, kicking out the windshield of one, police said.

The officer found Taylor nearby at Fifth Avenue and International Boulevard, where he was in a violent scuffle with several motorists apparently trying to subdue him.

Investigators said Taylor had tried to take a motorist's car.

The officer caught up to that car and struggled with Taylor, who was subdued when other officers arrived and used a Taser on him.

Taylor and the girl were taken to hospitals for treatment.

She was burned and had cuts and bruises, but was expected to be released Sunday afternoon.

"You can be just going along and everything's fine, and in one second it gets so scary," Castro said. "It's very important to be careful. I don't know how it happened, but obviously the guy was out of his mind. He was running in a way, like he was trying to get hurt.''

Taylor was treated and released, then arrested after making admissions to investigators about his involvement. He was arrested on suspicion of willful cruelty to a child, vandalism, resisting arrest and battery on a police officer.

The incident is under investigation, and anyone with information is asked to call police at 510-238-3821.