Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Police find 2-year-old daughter in dad's car after high-speed chase (Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania)

AYENDE CRAWFORD sounds like a real peach of a dad.

http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014/03/19/police-find-toddler-in-fathers-car-after-high-speed-chase/

Police Find Toddler In Father’s Car After High-Speed Chase

March 19, 2014 6:02 PM

Mary Robb Jackson

BEAVER FALLS (KDKA) — Ayende Crawford’s arrest two years ago was hard to forget.

He was taken into custody as his girlfriend was giving birth to their daughter.

Crawford, also known as Ayende Solomon, was holding his girlfriend’s hand at Heritage Valley Health System’s Beaver Hospital when he was cuffed by deputies and taken from the delivery room.

The baby was born minutes later.

At the time, Crawford was on Beaver County’s Most Wanted Fugitive List for aggravated assault, DUI, drug possession, unlawful restraint and reckless endangerment.

Last Sunday evening, in the 500-block of 17th Street in Beaver Falls, police noticed a blue Audi with illegally-tinted windows.

“Tried to stop the vehicle for a traffic violation,” said Chief Charles Jones, of the Beaver Falls Police. “The vehicle failed to stop.”

The driver, identified as 23-year-old Ayende Crawford, took off. With lights and siren, police gave chase, blowing through stop signs and down one-way streets, the wrong way.

When Crawford finally pulled over, he exited with his hands up.

In the back of the Audi, officers found Crawford’s 2-year-old daughter, Naliah. The toddler was in a car seat, but not buckled in.

“[She] became sick because of the excessive speed of the vehicle, bouncing around in the vehicle,” said Chief Jones.

Finding the little girl after the chase took police by surprise.

“Very scary, especially based on the fact that the officers at the time, when they were trying to stop the vehicle, didn’t realize there was a child in the vehicle till afterwards,” Chief Jones said.

Police allegedly also found marijuana and crack cocaine on Crawford.