CULVER CITY, Calif.—A robbery suspect who led authorities on a wild chase with a baby and the infant’s mother in the car—all while livestreaming the pursuit that came to a end in Culver City—was behind bars July 18.
Daiyaan Henderson, 21, of Los Angeles, was being held without bail on suspicion of felony evading and multiple felony warrants, according to the Beverly Hills Police Department (BHPD).
The dramatic chain of events began just before 3 p.m. Wednesday in Beverly Hills near Canon Drive and Charleville Avenue, according to the BHPD. Police said at least two armed suspects confronted a man who was sitting in his car and stole items including a Rolex watch, a ring, and an iPhone, then fled in a vehicle with a third suspect.
The suspects’ vehicle was later spotted in Hawthorne, where police attempted a traffic stop, but the driver sped away, sparking a pursuit that continued into South Los Angeles, where the suspects abandoned the vehicle on foot near 74th Street and Hoover Street, police said.
One suspect was quickly captured, while a second suspect carjacked another vehicle, prompting a short pursuit that ended when the victim fled the vehicle. That suspect was then taken into custody, according to the BHPD.
The third suspect was subsequently spotted in a Kia sedan by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies, prompting yet another pursuit. That chase unfolded mostly on live television, with the suspect weaving through traffic and occasionally driving on the wrong side of streets.
The suspect drove the Kia through downtown Los Angeles, Hyde Park and Inglewood before entering Culver City, where he drove on the wrong side of streets multiple times as he avoided other drivers and pursuing deputies.
The chase ended at Shedd Terrance and Wrightcrest Drive in a cul-de- sac in the Blair Hills neighborhood of Culver City, where the suspect briefly remained in the car when deputies blocked it. As deputies approached the car, they saw the suspect was holding a baby swaddled in pink in his lap.
The infant’s mother, who was in the backseat, ultimately exited the car with the baby, followed by the suspect, who hugged the woman before surrendering to authorities.
Reports from the scene suggested the suspect may be the child’s father, and the woman was his girlfriend.
South Los Angeles Sheriff’s Station Lt. David Berry confirmed to City News Service the suspect was live-streaming the chase. On video from the live- stream, the infant’s mother can be heard begging the suspect from the backseat of the car to pull over and surrender, saying he was endangering the baby.
The baby—a 2-month-old girl—was handed over to law enforcement and was medically treated at the scene.
“My concern was the baby,” sheriff’s deputy Adriana Martinez told reporters. “She was crying so I just wanted to comfort her. My motherly insects kicked in and I was just trying to soothe her, stop her from crying. We ended up taking care of her.”
According to the sheriff’s department, deputies fed the child and changed her diaper before she fell asleep. She was described as being OK and has since reunited with her mother.
Officials said they released the baby’s mother from custody after determining she was the victim of a kidnapping. Mr. Henderson faces possible charges including kidnapping, carjacking, armed robbery and ex-felon in possession of a firearm, sheriff’s officials said.
He was being held without bail.
The other two suspects were identified by Beverly Hills police as Semaj Lopez, 24, of Los Angeles, and Michael Smith, 19, of Lancaster. Both were booked on suspicion of robbery.
Mr. Lopez was also being held without bail, according to jail records. Mr. Smith’s bail was set at $225,000.
According to court records, Mr. Henderson was already pending trial on multiple felony cases stemming from alleged crimes last year. He was facing charges including robbery, burglary, unlawful firearm activity, carjacking and assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
Court and jail records indicate he was released on bail in May or June. Jail records indicate he had a half-dozen arrests over the past year.
