CLEVELAND — A 38-year-old man who is facing multiple charges after he allegedly stole a car with a two-year-old inside and then struck and killed a cyclist while feeling from police, appeared in court on Monday.
The suspect, Eric Maldonado, is charged with aggravated robbery, kidnapping and aggravated vehicular homicide, according to Cleveland police.
Maldonado is being held on a $2 million bond.
The incident started Friday, Sept. 20 around 8:20 p.m. Authorities said that a woman stopped in the 3100 block of West 44th Street, got out of her car and then had her cousin watch the vehicle and her 2-year-old child that secured in a car seat inside the car.
That’s when police said that a man walked up to the woman’s cousin, knocked her to the ground and then sped off in the woman’s car with the child still inside.
A patrolling officer located the woman’s car heading north on West 65th Street and gave chase. The suspect turned down Lorain Avenue and fled from police at a high rate of speed, authorities said.
When the suspect reached the area of West 45th Street and Bridge Avenue, he struck a bicyclist, another car and then a tree, according to police. The suspect tried to escape but was captured by officers.
His next pretrial hearing is scheduled for Oct. 7.
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