Baby-Throwing Dad Held on $100,000 Bond in Crash that Injured Tot

A Lorain man who and took off down Detroit Road July 31, eventually hitting two other vehicles, was arraigned by video on Aug. 2.

Judge Darrel Bilancini set a $100,000 bond for the suspect, Josue Rodriguez, 30, who, along with his 10-month-old son and another man, were injured. Rodriguez remains hospitalized.

Rodriguez was charged with robbery, fleeing, menacing, driving on a 12-point suspended license, OVI/driving under the influence, hit skip, no child restraint, reckless operation and a seat belt violation from the July 31 incident.

The suspect, who was deemed indigent, requested court-appointed counsel. His preliminary hearing is set from Aug. 7 at 9 p.m. in

Rodriguez allegedly fled from Kohl’s Department Store on July 31 after being spotted taking items by a loss prevention officer. According to a police report, and took off down Detroit Road, first striking a vehicle at the SR 83 and Detroit intersection before crashing into a second car at the Detroit Road and SR 611 (Colorado Avenue) intersection, injuring a North Olmsted man, whose car then crashed into a third vehicle.

A police video cam shows a police officer approaching Rodriguez’s car with a gun drawn. Rodriguez was knocked out in the crash and later taken by Life Flight to Metro Health Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. The officer can be seen pulling out the baby from the heavily damaged and smoking vehicle. The boy was taken to Rainbow Babies Hospital by ambulance.