Father shoots at vehicle with his kids inside during child custody dispute in Richmond, police say
A father involved in a child custody dispute with the mother of their children opened fire on their vehicle as they fled from him, authorities said.
Richmond police said in a Facebook post Monday the incident happened Saturday at around 6:50 p.m. on the 3500 block of Nevin Avenue. Officers who responded to a report of a shooting determined that during a child custody exchange, an argument began between a male suspect and a female victim.
Police confirmed to CBS News San Francisco that the argument involved the parents of two children; a third child was with the mother as well. During the argument, the father produced a handgun and fired at the mother's car as she attempted to flee with the kids inside, two of them under the age of 2, police said.
The gunfire struck the vehicle, but police said no one was hit. The suspect fled on foot but was found about a block away on the 3600 block of Barrett Avenue hiding in the crawl space of a home. Police said they were able to find him using a K9 officer, a drone, and the help of other law enforcement agencies.
A handgun was recovered after being discarded by the suspect, police said. Neither the alleged gunman nor the victims were identified.
Investigators determined the suspect's firearm had been reported stolen.
The suspect is facing charges of attempted murder, child abuse, violations of a restraining order, domestic violence, and possession of a stolen and loaded firearm, along with several other misdemeanors, police said.