Child Safe, Father Arrested After Abduction In New Jersey
IRVINGTON, N.J. (CBSNewYork) - A child is safe after being abducted in New Jersey Wednesday.
The child's father allegedly assaulted the mother and then took their son from his daycare.
As CBS2's Lisa Rozner reported, 30-year-old Kareem Dawson was taken into Maplewood Police custody on Wednesday after cops say he assaulted the mother of his two children outside of a daycare center.
Around 8:45 a.m., police said Dawson attacked the woman on Valley Street in Maplewood.
He allegedly followed her to her vehicle where he threw her to the ground. It's believed that some time after that, Dawson went to pick up their 4-year-old son at the Augusta Street School in Irvington.
An alert was sent out and Woodbridge Police located him and the child just before noon.
"In a car over here, a grey car, saw a state trooper take a baby out of the car. Other than that it was just mass commotion," Pattie Clark said.
"I saw the police take a gun out of the car," George Cloack added.
Maplewood Police said Dawson was in possession of a handgun during the assault, but it's not clear if it's the same gun witnesses saw.
Irvington police said Dawson lives in the municipality and was allowed to pick up his son because he's done it so many times before.
"He's the father of the kid, normal practice," Irvington Police Director, Tracy Bowers said.
Police said the boy was back with his mother who suffered minor injuries in the assault.
The investigation is ongoing and charges are pending.
Irvington Police said the child's mother had a restraining order against Dawson.
