HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — A 2-year-old girl died Monday after her father removed her from daycare, attacked her mother at her job and then led law enforcement on a chase, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
The man has been identified as Deontray Flanagan, 25. According to court records, he has been arrested before on two different assault charges.
How this unfolded
Gonzalez said that sometime before 10 a.m., the man showed up at his daughter's daycare and had her removed. It's not known if the man had the authority to do so, according to Gonzalez.
He then went to his daughter's mother's job and allegedly threatened her to give him her phone, Gonzalez said. The man reportedly told the woman if she didn't give up her phone, he would hurt their daughter, Gonzalez reported.
The man held his daughter the whole time and the woman tried grabbing her, but that's when the man hit the woman multiple times in the face before taking off with the child and the woman's phone, Gonzalez said.
Deputies were called to the woman's job where she told them what happened. As soon as deputies learned there was a child involved, they immediately started tracking the woman's phone and getting other agencies involved to find the man and the 2-year-old girl, officials said.
A short time later, the man's car was spotted near Greens Road and the North Freeway. The man refused to pull over, leading multiple law enforcement agencies on a chase that eventually ended near a church on Stuebner Airline Road near FM 1960.
Though the chase had ended, the man refused to get out of the car. At this point, Gonzalez said the 2-year-old was still with him.
A negotiator was able to talk with the man and found out the 2-year-old was unresponsive.
A distraction device was used to get the man and his injured daughter out of the car, Gonzalez said. The man was arrested and the 2-year-old was immediately given CPR until Life Flight arrived, Gonzalez said.
The child later died at the hospital from her injuries.
According to Gonzalez, the 2-year-old was possibly injured by being thrown around in the car. She had some trauma to her body, he said.
The man was not injured.
Investigators said they're looking into the current relationship status between the man and the child's mother. It's not known if the two were ever married or just getting out of a relationship.
The man faces several charges, Gonzalez said.