North Las Vegas police accused a father of kidnapping his 10-month-old daughter and threatening to kill her, then himself, after battering his girlfriend.
Police took Roderick Duke, 39, into custody Thursday after they said he abducted his 10-month-old daughter Leilani Williams, prompting an Amber Alert. The girl was found unharmed, police said.
Duke faces three felony counts of domestic violence with substantial bodily harm, kidnapping of a minor and child abuse or neglect, as well as two domestic battery misdemeanors.
Duke threatened to kill daughter, police say
Police said they were called to an apartment complex in the 1200 block of West Cheyenne Avenue, near North Martin Luther King Boulevard on Thursday after Duke had left his residence with his daughter, threatening to kill her and commit suicide by cop.
Duke’s girlfriend told police he attacked her and ran away with their 10-month-old daughter, according to the report.
Police said the unidentified woman chased after Duke through the apartment complex’s parking lot yelling for help and used a neighbor’s phone to call him. A friend of Duke’s who had driven him from the complex tried to convince him to take his daughter back home, the report stated.
Police: Duke beat girlfriend, kidnapped baby
A day earlier, police said, Duke had beaten his girlfriend, grabbed her by the neck and pinned her against a wall. Duke’s girlfriend said she grabbed a towel rack and started swinging at Duke.
The woman locked herself in the apartment’s bathroom before she stepped out and saw Duke take their daughter out of their apartment in a stroller, police said.
“Roderick was running at full speed pushing the stroller and feared (the girl) would fall out of it … several times as Roderick fled through the parking lot,” the report said.
‘Apparent’ that Duke was deceitful, police say
Duke told police he got into a dispute with his girlfriend and left the apartment to cool off.
Duke said he took a walk after their argument because “he did not want to put hands on (his girlfriend) because he does not hit women” and took his daughter to a friend’s house so she could escape what he called an “irate’ environment,” the report said.
Duke had been charged with two counts of coercion domestic violence in August, the report said. Las Vegas Justice Court records show the charges was later dismissed.
Contact Spencer Levering at slevering@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0253.
