WATCH: Baby ejected from a vehicle during police chase of Indiana man in Ohio
Dec 17, 2024
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) An Indiana man is being charged with endangering children after a baby was ejected from his vehicle during a police chase in Toledo, Ohio. Bryan Police Department said Zachary Chervenka, 32, was at Walmart with his two kids and their mother around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 1. Someone noticed him, knowing he had active arrest warrants out of Butler, Indiana, and called 911. He took off with the kids and left the mother at Walmart.Bryan Police Department released the dash cam video of an infant who flew out of a moving van during the chase. Baby ejected from a vehicle during police chase of Indiana man in OhioIn the video, the childrens mother was loading the groceries into the vehicle when the officer came up. Zach, hows it going? Hes running, one officer can be heard saying.The father sped off leaving his girlfriend behind.The chase reached speeds up to 100 miles per hour.Well be in pursuit. Hes heading South Bound on South Main at high rates of speed juvenile in the car, an officer said.I think he blew a tire. Were heading southbound on 127. Be advised the doors open. Were turning right on the first road past the 15 and 127 split, an officer said.As they rounded the split what the officer did not see was the car seat carrying the nine-month-old baby boy flying out of the van bouncing multiple times off of the grass.The van door wasnt closed when the man took off.The chase lasted 15 minutes before police decided to end the pursuit because of bad weather.While the father was trying to shake the police. He called his kids mother and told her where to find them.Police drove her to the scene. The infant was in its car seat on a highly traveled highway.It took law enforcement an hour to find the baby.Oh my God baby boy, baby boy, the mother could be heard saying.Well be on the curb on 127 at the stop sign with that child. I got you. Keep them on the ground. Keep them on the ground, an officer said.The baby was awake and crying.According to a police report, an ER doctor told police the infants body temperature was extremely low and could have been life-threatening if he was left out in the cold for much longer.The five-year-old girl was dropped off at a friends house.According to a press release from the Bryan Police Department, Chervenka was located in an unoccupied apartment at the Edgemont Colony Apartment Complex in Edgerton, Ohio. When officers arrived, he tried to run but a K9 unit successfully stopped him.Chervenka was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment for injuries sustained in the arrest. He was then arrested and charged with failure to comply with the order of a police officer and two counts of endangering children.He was in court Tuesday where a judge set a $100,000 bond. He was also ordered not to have any contact with the victims of the case. Hes due back in court on Dec. 10.