VIRGINIA BEACH. Va. (AP) — A 1-year-old Virginia girl is dead after her father stabbed her mother, abducted her and two siblings and then crashed during a pursuit into Maryland on Thursday, police said.
Officers found a woman and a girl suffering from multiple stab wounds in Virginia Beach on Wednesday night, and determined that Dana Plummer, 36, of Virginia Beach, stabbed them before fleeing with his 7- and 5-year-old sons and 1-year-old daughter, Virginia Beach Police said.
The injured child and the woman, the children’s mother, were taken to local hospitals, where they were in stable condition on Thursday, police said.
Detectives secured warrants charging Plummer with aggravated malicious wounding, parental abduction and other offenses 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 tried to stop it on Interstate 95 in Fairfax County, police said. A pursuit began when the driver did not stop and instead continued north on Interstate 495 into Maryland, where the driver 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 apprehended at the crash scene.
Maryland State Police received a call for assistance from Virginia State Police and arrived about two minutes after the crash, Maj. Adam Stachurski said at a news conference Thursday. Plummer and the two other children were in stable condition at area hospitals, he said. Maryland State Police will investigate the fatal crash.
Because Plummer was wanted for felony abduction, Virginia State Police supervision authorized troopers to continue across the state border into Maryland with the fleeing vehicle, the agency said in a statement. None of the agency’s vehicles made contact with the SUV, officials said.
“Our hearts 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.”
