Ryan Mangus, 28, was captured by police after a car chase on Thursday morning in Lafayette, Ind. Mangus was carrying his daughter, 2-year-old Kennedy Mangus, who has not been seen since early Tuesday evening. Ryan and Kennedy Mangus left home together, but ended up taking off together in his vehicle.
Ryan Mangus’ girlfriend, the girl’s mother, came home from work at about 8:15 p.m. and noticed he was gone. But it wasn’t until after 3 a.m. that she reported her daughter missing.
On Thursday morning, authorities conducted a search for Kennedy in Indiana. The search included a vehicle which had been reported stolen by Mangus’ girlfriend during an argument on Tuesday. By noon, authorities received reports of a vehicle crashed in Terre Haute, Ind. Thirty minutes later, Mangus was taken into custody in the SUV, but his daughter was still missing.
Local police officers were able to rescue Mangus and get him to safety. The vehicle had quickly become submerged in the creek that runs along Interstate 65. Authorities rescued him after using a boat to reach the vehicle. Since they were there quickly, they were able to recover Kennedy’s blankets and jacket.
Since Mangus had driven the SUV into the creek, authorities took steps to prevent them from drifting away, as he used his vehicle to cut through a frozen pond. Law enforcement also removed as many loose items as possible from the vehicle so that it wouldn’t be used as a weapon against officers.
Kennedy Mangus was found and then taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Mangus was initially arrested on a charge of aggravated battery, but he was also charged with one count of child neglect on Thursday.
Read the full story at the Indianapolis Star.
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