BELTON, S.C. (TCD) — A 31-year-old father is in custody after allegedly kidnapping his 3-year-old son and leading officials on a chase that resulted in his son becoming trapped in a car that caught on fire.
According to a news release from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, on Wednesday, May 8, deputies responded to a residence on Harris Avenue after learning a father, later identified by deputies as Joshua Dornellas, allegedly assaulted his son’s mother and abducted their 3-year-old child. Shortly before 1 p.m., the sheriff’s office tried to locate and stop Dornellas and his son on Interstate 85. A pursuit ensued across the state line and into Georgia, and local authorities aided in the chase.
Dornellas reportedly crashed near mile marker 166, and “flames engulfed the vehicle with the child still inside.” Deputies removed the boy, and he was transported to a trauma center. According to WHNS-TV, the child suffered severe burns and is in critical condition.
Officials also took Dornellas into custody, and he was reportedly transported to a Georgia hospital, where he remains hospitalized for injuries.
Further investigation revealed Dornellas allegedly intentionally set his vehicle on fire during the pursuit and jumped out of the window while the car was traveling at 55 mph.
According to the sheriff’s office, Dornellas faces separate charges for incidents that reportedly occurred not long before the alleged kidnapping.
On April 21, Dornellas reportedly left five young children unsupervised, and his toddler was located outside his home alone. Several days later, on April 28, Dornellas allegedly assaulted the child’s mother, and he was charged with second-degree domestic violence. The mother reportedly filed an order of protection against Dornellas following the incident.
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It’s heart-wrenching to hear about such a horrific incident. My thoughts are with the little boy for a speedy recovery and hope justice is served swiftly in this case.