Police Seek Parolee Who Allegedly Abandoned Son While Fleeing

Authorities sought the public's help Tuesday finding a domestic-violence suspect who allegedly crashed his car on a North County street while fleeing from police, then fled on foot, abandoning his injured infant son in the vehicle.

Emilio Piedra, 38, allegedly kidnapped the 10-month-old and fled with him after assaulting his estranged wife at her home in the 1700 block of Oceanside Boulevard on the afternoon of June 2.

Due to his status as a parolee, Piedra was wearing a court-mandated GPS transmitter, and officers used signals from the device to track him to the vicinity of California Street in Vista, Oceanside police Lt. Joe Young said.

Seeing the police, the suspect allegedly sped off, then crashed his vehicle into two other cars while trying to cross nearby Santa Fe Drive. He then jumped out and bolted, leaving his child behind, according to Young.

Medics airlifted the baby to Rady Children's Hospital for treatment of moderately serious injuries suffered in the collisions. An 11-year-old passenger in one of the other vehicles sustained minor injuries.

"Both children have been released from the hospital and are recovering at home," the lieutenant said.

Piedra is a 5-foot-6-inch, 140-pound Latino with a shaved head. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Oceanside police at (760) 435-4911.

—City News Service