Toddler Killed in Crash After Dad Abducts Her, Siblings: Cops

Dana Plummer is facing multiple charges in Virginia, Maryland
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 19, 2024 3:00 AM CDT
Man Abducts His 3 Kids, Ends Up in Crash That Kills One of Them: Cops
Stock photo.   (Getty Images / Ajax9)

A father allegedly abducted his three children Wednesday night in Virginia, and the incident ended horrifically when he allegedly crashed the vehicle he was driving, killing one of the children and injuring the other two. Police were called to Virginia Beach over a report that Dana Plummer, 36, stabbed his ex-wife and his 12-year-old stepdaughter and then fled with his three children, WTKR reports. An Amber Alert was sent out, and the following morning, someone recognized the vehicle from the alert and called police, NBC News reports. Police attempted to stop Plummer in Virginia, and they say Plummer fled and a chase ensued that continued into Maryland.

Ultimately, he crashed into two other vehicles and flipped his SUV, police say. His youngest child, 16-month-old Za'riyah Plummer, was killed, and her two siblings, Zayin, 7, and Zayir, 5, were hospitalized. Their conditions have not been reported, but Plummer's ex-wife and stepdaughter are reportedly in stable condition. Plummer had "administratively separated" from the Navy less than two weeks before the alleged abduction, which WTKR reports is a way of removing those who are not considered fit to serve. He'd also had guns taken from him in March after he allegedly showed signs of paranoid schizophrenia. (More Virginia stories.)

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