HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A toddler is dead after what started as a domestic disturbance in northwest Harris County. What followed was a short chase before a standoff in a field.
According to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, deputies initially took a call about a family disturbance on Monday at about 10:15 a.m. A man, believed to be the biological dad of a 2-year-old, went into a private day care and took the little girl. Relatives identified the girl as Zevaya Flanagan.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the man then went into a nearby Walmart, where the child’s mother works, and confronted her, asking for her phone and passcode and threatening to hurt the child.
The mother complied and tried to rescue her daughter but was unable to, according to Gonzalez.
The suspect allegedly hit the mother multiple times in the face and left with her phone before driving off in a red Camaro, prompting a chase with deputies.
Deputies said that at some point during the chase, the mom was able to FaceTime the suspect to try to get him to stop, but failed.
The car finally came to a stop at St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church near Stuebner Airline and Veterans Memorial, sparking a standoff. Officers surrounded the vehicle and after about 20 minutes, they moved in. The toddler was rushed from the car by authorities, and then the driver was yanked out to be taken into custody.
The sheriff identified the person arrested after the standoff as 25-year-old Deontray Flanagan, who has been charged with murder and is in the Harris County Jail.
Flanagan told investigators the toddler sustained her injuries from being tossed around during the chase, but sources tell she had severe head trauma. Additionally, there were reports she was being choked during the pursuit. An autopsy will determine exactly how she died.
The child was “seriously injured” after the chase, according to Gonzalez. Life Flight was then called to the scene to transport the toddler to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
