1 Child Dead, Abducted VA Kids In Chase That Ends In MD

MARYLAND — A search for three children ended in tragedy Thursday morning when their father, who authorities said abducted them from their Virginia home after stabbing two people, crashed the car they were in on the Capital Beltway after leading police on a multi-state chase.

Virginia State Police said one of the children — identified by authorities as 1-year-old Zariyah Plummer — suffered injuries in the crash and died later at the hospital.

According to police, Zariyah and her brothers, ages 5 and 3, were taken from their home in Virginia Beach on Wednesday night by their father, 36-year-old Dana Plummer. Virginia Beach police said Plummer stabbed two people inside the home — a woman and a child — before fleeing with the children.

Both stabbing victims were taken to the hospital, where they were in stable condition, WTOP reported.

After authorities issued an Amber Alert, Plummer's Honda Passport SUV was spotted traveling north on Interstate 95 in Fairfax County, Virginia. Plummer refused to pull over when authorities tried to initiate a traffic stop, police said.

According to authorities, Plummer fled north on Interstate 495 into Prince George's County in Maryland. Shortly before 9 a.m., police said Plummer attempted to take the ramp from northbound I-495 to southbound Route 5/Branch Avenue when he crashed into two other vehicles, causing the SUV to overturn.

In total, three cars were involved in the crash. Plummer was apprehended at the scene and taken to Capital Region Medical Center for medical treatment. The other two children were also taken to Children’s National Hospital, police said.

Plummer is facing multiple charges including two counts of aggravated malicious wounding, three counts of parental abduction, four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and domestic assault.

This case remains under investigation. Anyone with information should contact Virginia Beach police at 757-385-4101 or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.