VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — A 1-year-old Virginia girl is dead after her father stabbed her mother to death, kidnapped her and two siblings and then crashed during a chase into Maryland on Thursday, police said.
Officers found a woman and a girl with numerous stab wounds in Virginia Beach Wednesday night and determined that Dana Plummer, 36, of Virginia Beach, stabbed them before fleeing with his sons, ages 7 and 5, and his 1-year-old daughter, Virginia Beach police said.
The injured child and the woman, the children’s mother, were taken to local hospitals, where their condition was stable Thursday, police said.
Detectives obtained arrest warrants for Plummer for aggravated assault, child abduction and other crimes, and Virginia State Police issued an Amber Alert for the three missing children.
On Thursday morning, police were notified that the SUV sought in the Amber Alert had been spotted. Virginia State Police attempted to stop it on Interstate 95 in Fairfax County, police said. A chase began when the driver failed to stop and instead continued north on Interstate 495 into Maryland, where he lost control and crashed, police said.
The three children were found and the 1-year-old was taken to a hospital where she later succumbed to her injuries, police said. Plummer was arrested at the scene.
Maryland State Police received a 911 call from Virginia State Police and arrived about two minutes after the accident, Major Adam Stachurski said at a news conference Thursday. Plummer and the other two children are in stable condition and in area hospitals, he said. Maryland State Police will investigate the fatal accident.
Because Plummer was wanted for kidnapping, Virginia State Police supervisors gave officers permission to cross the state line into Maryland in the fleeing vehicle, the agency said in a statement. None of the agency’s vehicles came into contact with the SUV, officials said.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and loved ones who are grieving this morning,” Police Chief Paul Neudigate said in a statement. “This is an unimaginable tragedy and on behalf of the VBPD, I extend our deepest sympathies to those affected by this loss.”
