Minn. boys, 2 and 4, found safe after alleged abduction by suicidal father
LAKEVILLE, Minn. -- Two young boys are safe after their father attempted to kill them and himself by rigging a car's exhaust pipe, police in a Minneapolis suburb said Thursday.
A family member interrupted the man's attempt after finding the three in the running vehicle in a closed garage about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, Lakeville Police Chief Jeff Long said. A hose was connected to the exhaust pipe and routed inside of the car, reports CBS Minnesota.The family member called police, but the father had fled with the children, ages 2 and 4, in the vehicle by the time officers arrived.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension issued an Amber Alert to help locate the three, and an officer on patrol in Burnsville spotted the vehicle about 4 a.m. and called for backup.
"He didn't go willingly. He did try to fight with the officers" before he was subdued, Long said. The boys were unharmed and no weapons were recovered.
The boys were turned over to their mother. The mother and father are estranged and the man had recently been living with a family member.
Police are recommending attempted homicide charges, but none have been filed yet.
The case is a grim reminder of similar crimes in the Twin Cities metro area recently, Long said, referencing a case in South Lake Minnetonka last month in which a man killed his wife and three children before taking his own life. The deaths were ruled a murder-suicide.
Lakeville police began a program earlier this year because of the rising number of mental health calls in which officers follow up with family members about a week after an incident to make sure they are getting the services offered.