Dad, Grandparents Who Attacked Mom, Took Baby Could Face Kidnapping Charges: Police

CITY OF INDUSTRY, CA — The father and grandparents of a baby who was taken over the weekend — prompting an Amber Alert in Southern California — may face multiple felony charges, authorities said.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the district attorney’s office will consider filing charges, including kidnapping and assault with a deadly weapon, against 20-year-old Dragan Antonescu, as well as 48-year-old Viorel Illie and 40-year-old Marioara Illie of Denver.

The trio is accused of kidnapping Antonescu’s 1-year-old child around 11 a.m. Sunday outside a Target in the 17700 block of Colima Road in the City of Industry, according to police.

The baby’s mother was exiting the store with her son and other family when she was approached by her estranged boyfriend and his parents, who assaulted her and took the child, police said. Antonescu also threatened the woman and her family with a knife before fleeing in a gray Toyota Sienna, according to police.

The woman was taken to a hospital to be treated for minor injuries, police said.

“Based upon the violent nature of the assault, detectives believed the kidnapped child was in serious physical danger and the California Highway Patrol was requested to issue an Amber Alert to enlist the public’s help in locating the child,” the sheriff’s department said in an advisory message.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety found the minivan in Winslow and arrested the three adults, according to police. The baby was put into protective custody and his return to California was being coordinated with Los Angeles County authorities, police said.

Any witnesses or people with information are asked to contact 562-946-7893, or anonymously call 800-222-8477 or visitwww.p3tips.com, according to police.