A California man is behind bars, charged with assaulting his ex-wife, kidnapping his 4-year-old son, and hitting two pedestrians with his car as he fled the scene.
An Amber Alert was issued after the incident early Monday evening and officers issued a be on the lookout alert for 40-year-old Daniel Hutchens, the Monterey Police Department said.
Police said Hutchens’ ex-wife and her 4- and 1-year-old children were visiting Monterey just after 7 p.m. Monday evening. Hutchens, in a rental car, apparently followed them into a motel parking lot and parked nearby when the ex-wife stopped the vehicle.
“Hutchens was wearing a mask covering his face and assaulted his ex-wife while she was standing outside her vehicle,” police said. “Hutchens forcibly removed his ex-wife’s watch and forced his way into her vehicle.”
He grabbed the older child and ran back to his rental vehicle with him.
The ex-wife began yelling for help, and a nearby witness ran to Hutchens’ car to try to stop him. The witness opened the car door, but Hutchens said he had a gun and would shoot. As other witnesses began approaching, Hutchens “accelerated in reverse at a high rate of speed,” striking two pedestrians with the open car door and knocking them to the ground.
Officers in nearby Seaside spotted Hutchens’ vehicle and attempted a traffic stop, but he fled, eventually turning onto US Highway 1 and hitting speeds over 100 mph. At one point, he even called 911 and threatened that he had a gun and would not surrender.
Hutchens also drove the wrong way on the highway and eventually exited into Castroville, where officers briefly lost sight of the vehicle. They soon found it abandoned, and witnesses reported seeing the driver flee the scene on foot with the little boy.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the search, with officers deploying drones to assist. Shortly after 10 p.m., 911 calls in Castroville reported a man walking with a child. The witnesses said they attempted to follow them but didn’t see where they went. Shortly before 10:30 p.m., a drone spotted the pair near North Monterey County Middle School.
Office converged and took Hutchens into custody. The boy was checked out by paramedics on the scene and was reunited with his mother.
Hutchens, a native of California, was charged with kidnapping, robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, domestic violence, felony evasion, and felony child abuse. He was ordered held without bail.
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[Featured image: Daniel Hutchens/California Highway Patrol]
