Chilling Crime in SC! 3-year-old Kidnapped, Truck Torched by Father: Why Did a Father Attack His Child?

A South Carolina man accused of kidnapping his son and leading troopers on a chase that resulted in a catastrophic wreck has been captured, according to authorities.

The 31-year-old male was arrested over the Georgia state border on Wednesday, May 8, after being suspected of assaulting his child’s mother in Belton, South Carolina, according to an Anderson County Sheriff’s Office press release. Deputies claimed the man fled with their three-year-old kid and held him hostage. According to the Georgia State Patrol, he once “threatened to kill the child,” who was riding in the front seat of his Ford pickup truck.

To protect the victims’ identities, McClatchy News will not identify the suspect.

Authorities pursued the suspect down Interstate 85, and a chase began when he passed into Georgia, authorities said. As they closed in, authorities reported that the truck’s cabin was filled with smoke. Georgia troopers said the dad set a fire before leaping out the driver’s side window of his moving truck, leaving his son behind. The truck was going around 55 mph.

According to officials, the truck collided with an embankment and burst into flames. Deputies discovered the youngster on the driver’s side floorboard with “severe burns” after the fire was extinguished.

Troopers say he was taken to a burn center in critical condition. Following the crash, the man was also hospitalized. The 31-year-old was recently jailed on domestic assault charges, and his child’s mother was issued a protective order against him, according to the sheriff’s office.

“Our hearts are with the child’s mother as she faces this unimaginable situation,” the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook. “We ask the community for their continued prayers for the 3-year-old boy as he fights inside the trauma centre.”

Troopers said the man is facing many counts, which will be made public at a later date. Anderson County is approximately a 120-mile journey northwest of Columbia.

If you are experiencing domestic violence and need someone to talk to, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text “START” to 88788.