A California man sought in the slayings of his infant son and the child's mother surrendered Tuesday after authorities found him in an Orange County park pond following a brief pursuit.
The mother and her infant child died Monday after being assaulted inside an apartment in the 2600 block of West Ball Road in Anaheim Monday at around noon. Investigators found Kwane Carpenter's car in the parking lot of the Fountain Valley Hospital at around 3:30 a.m. after a tip-off from a security guard, and following an exchange of shots he fled in his vehicle, a spokesman for the Anaheim Police Department said.
"He woke up, started the vehicle immediately and drove off through the parking lot," said Sgt. Tony Luce, of the Fountain Valley Police Department. "He struck several vehicles in the parking lot and, at one point, drove the vehicle in the direction of one of our officers."
He then drove into a park at the corner of Edinger Avenue and Euclid Street and jumped into a pond in an apparent attempt to escape, police said. Carpenter was later tracked down by K-9 officers and taken into custody soon after he surrendered in neck-deep water, police said.
"The dog then jumped into the lake and grabbed ahold," said Luce.
Carpenter was identified by police as a person of interest in the killings. Carpenter remained hospitalized early Tuesday afternoon.
Investigators said the mother of his child, who has not been identified but was in her 20s, was dead when they arrived at the apartment Monday. Her 6-month-old son was taken to the hospital, where he died.
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A coroner's report is pending.
Kyle Elsbernd said he tried to comfort a woman who arrived at the apartments and told him she lived in the unit and was the victim’s sister.
"When they brought the baby out, she recognized the baby and she freaked out," Elsbernd said. "It was heart-wrenching," Elsbernd said.
Shortly after, witnesses say the baby’s grandmother arrived at the scene.
Police previously said they were looking for 24-year-old Carpenter as a person of interest in the deaths.
"We are looking for a person of interest that we think could shed some light on this incident," said Lt. Eric Trapp of the Anaheim Police Department.
Annette Arreola contributed to this report.