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Man is arrested after allegedly fleeing with baby girl

E-mail|Link|Comments () June 25, 2010 10:25 PM

By Stewart Bishop, Globe Correspondent

A 1-year-old girl was back home safe Friday night after the child's father allegedly assaulted her South End mother and attempted to flee the state with the baby, police said.

Boston police spokesman David Estrada said Friday night that at around 3:45 p.m. police responded to a Columbus Avenue apartment after a woman reported that her live-in boyfriend had kidnapped the couple's young daughter, following a violent argument.

The woman, who police did not identify, said she had been in a verbal disagreement with her boyfriend, Bryan Harris, 26, also of the South End, and she had asked him to leave when Harris punched her in the face and forced her into a closet, police spokesman Eddy Chrispin said on Friday.

Harris proceeded to pack his clothes, and stole the woman's debit card and cellphone before telling her that he was taking their daughter, and fleeing to New York City, Chrispin said.

Boston police sent out an alert and less than two hours later State Police pulled over a Fung Wah bus en route to New York on the Massachusetts Turnpike near Exit 17 in Newton, Estrada said.

The bus was boarded by Boston police, who discovered Harris with the baby girl, Estrada said.

Harris surrendered to police and was arrested and charged with assault and battery, parental kidnapping, unarmed robbery, larceny over $250, and a dangerous weapon unlawfully carried.

Estrada said the girl was taken to Children's Hospital for evaluation, before being returned unharmed to her mother. Harris is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday in Boston Municipal Court.