MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas — A 3-month-old boy is safe after being taken after a custody dispute turned deadly in Spring, according to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators said the child was taken by his father, 41-year-old Obinna Dwayne Igbokwe, who died after investigators say he shot himself following a short police chase in Ennis, Texas.
Igbokwe was accused of shooting his wife and mother-in-law during an argument about custody of their child before taking off with his 3-month-old son in Spring.
Investigators said the Corsicana Police Department told them at about midnight early Thursday they had the 3-month-old boy in their care and he was safe. A man dropped off the child in a car seat at a local hotel and said he would be right back.
CPD was called when the man didn't return for the child, investigators said. When police learned of the description of the car he was in, they determined he was the suspect in the AMBER Alert.
Alerts were sent out to the law enforcement agencies in Ellis and Navarro Counties to notify them that Igbokwe was in their area, investigators said.
Investigators said that just after 1 a.m. Ennis police officer located Igbokwe’s white Honda he was driving and tried to pull him over. A short chase ensued that came to a stop in a parking lot.
Police said they then heard a single gunshot come from inside of the Honda. They tried to save Igbokwe, but he was later pronounced dead just after 5 a.m. at a Dallas hospital.
The 3-month-boy is back safe with his family, investigators said.
What happened
Officials said Igbokwe shot his wife and mother-in-law Wednesday night during an argument about custody of their child before fleeing with his 3-month-old son in Spring.
An AMBER Alert was then issued for 3-month-old.
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said the suspect was last known to be in the area of the North Freeway and Highway 105 driving a white 2008 Honda Accord with Texas license plate KMY0702.
Law enforcement officials believed the child was in imminent danger. The sheriff's office described Igbokwe as being about 6 feet tall and 190 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Officials believe he was armed and dangerous.
Investigators said Igbokwe shot his wife, Tangela Igbokwe, and mother-in-law, Linda Larkins, both in the head. Larkins was pronounced dead at the scene and Tangela was taken to an area hospital in critical condition.
Investigators said initially took the 3-month-old and a 14-year-old out for out for ice cream before the shooting occurred. The teen took off to a neighbor's home after the shooting and the father took off again with the infant.
FOLLOW KHOU 11 on social media for updates on this and other breaking stories: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Certain criteria need to be met in order for law enforcement to issue an AMBER Alert for a missing child age 17 or younger.
First, there needs to be a reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction occurred. Additionally, the law enforcement agency believes that the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death.
Another criterion is that there is enough descriptive information about the victim and the abduction that would assist in the recovery of the child, such as a vehicle description or license plate number.
As part of the AMBER Alert, the child's name and other critical date elements, including the child abduction flag, are entered into the National Crime Information Center.
The AMBER Alert system, used in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, was created in 1996. It stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response and was created as a legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bike in Arlington, Texas, and later murdered.
You can view all active Texas AMBER Alerts from the Texas Dept. of Public Safety here.
Follow news and trending stories in the Houston area. Click here to sign up for KHOU Morning News and Breaking News emails.