ST. LOUIS — The father accused of fatally shooting his 8-month-old son and fleeing with two other children, has turned himself into his lawyer, St. Louis' police chief confirmed Wednesday.
Diata Crockett is now in police custody, Chief Sam Dotson said. Police had been searching for the St. Louis area man since Tuesday when the boy was shot while in his mother's arms.
St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said the incident started with a domestic dispute at Crockett's Bellefontaine Neighbors, Mo., home Tuesday afternoon. Crockett forced his wife and three of their six children into a car and began driving. Bellefontaine Neighbors is a St. Louis suburb.
The shooting occurred while they were stopped at a stop sign near Interstate 270 about 1 p.m. CDT. The wife tried to get out of the car with 8-month-old Reign Crockett in her arms when Crockett, 34, fired a single shot aimed at the wife, but struck the boy instead, police said.
A Good Samaritan called 911 and took the boy and his mother to a hospital where Reign died. Dotson said that while the Good Samaritan was on the phone with the dispatcher, it sounded like they were being pursued by Crockett and that he was attempting to run them off the road.
Dotson said an 11-minute 911 conversation includes audio in which the unidentified Good Samaritan and the boy's mother, whose name was not released, can be heard saying: "He's trying to run us off the road. He's trying to cause an accident. He's following us."
At some point, Crockett stopped pursuing the car, but two other children were in his vehicle. An Amber alert had been issued for the victim's brothers, ages 2 and 3. They were found safe at a relative's home hours later.
Police said Crockett is a convicted felon. His criminal record includes convictions for burglary, resisting arrest and forgery, online court records show, and Dotson said that "he may be wanted for a parole violation."
The car he was driving, a black 2014 Hyundai Sonata rental car, was found Tuesday night in St. Louis County.
CrimeStoppers was offering a $5,000 reward for information that could lead to Crockett'e arrest.
Crockett was wanted for first-degree murder, domestic assault and armed criminal action for Tuesday's incident.
The couple's three other children, who were at daycare at the time, are in police custody awaiting the return to the care of a family member.
Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow Sam Clancy and Bailey E Kinney on Twitter: @SamClancy1 and @BaileyEKinney
