A man is facing multiple charges including parental kidnapping after he allegedly got into a domestic dispute Sunday and ran away with his young daughter in Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts.
The Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department says it responded around 1:30 p.m. to a Summer Street residence for a report of a domestic incident, where a man had allegedly fled the scene on foot with his 5-year-old child.
Local police requested assistance from Massachusetts State Police and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, both of which provided two K-9 teams.
According to authorities, a state police K-9 was able to track the suspect behind Manchester-Essex Regional High School into a nearby cemetery, where the suspect was located behind a tombstone, covered in leaves, with his daughter.
The girl was unharmed and was safely reunited with her mother, police said.
The man sustained minor injuries while being taken into custody and was transported to Beverly Hospital for evaluation, according to police. Once he's released, he'll be taken to the Manchester-by-the-Sea Police Department for booking on several charges including domestic assault and battery; assault and battery of a child under 14; reckless endangerment of a child; carrying a dangerous weapon; parental kidnapping; and possession of Class B and E drugs.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
Local
Police Chief Todd Fitzgerald said there is no threat to the public at this time.
"We are relieved that the child was safely located and reunited with her mother,” he added.
Police have not released the man's name, or any further details about the domestic incident that occurred prior to the alleged parental kidnapping. The man will be arraigned Monday in Salem District Court. It wasn't immediately clear if he had obtained an attorney who could speak to the charges he's facing.
This incident remains under investigation.
