Infant goes missing after court brawl in Detroit

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Missing

Evelyn Daniel

/ Personal Photo

(CBS/AP) DETROIT - The search is on in Detroit for a missing 4-month-old girl after a fight erupted at a court hearing. The brawl broke out after custody of the child was awarded to her father. Somehow, the baby was lost in the mayhem.

Last week during a domestic dispute, the infant's father Damon Daniel allegedly shot and killed the girl's mother Ebony Gaines. However, Wayne County prosecutors said Daniel acted in self-defense. Thursday, Gaines' cousin brought their four-month-old baby, Evelyn, to a custody hearing where a referee granted custody back to Daniel.

According to local station WJBK, a security guard passed off the baby to a mysterious woman when the scuffle broke out.

"(There) was so much going on, (there were) so many officers, so many people, pepper spray, everything," said friend Shandela Vaughn to the station.

However, no one knows the woman's identity.

Prior to the hearing, Evelyn had been cared for by the Gaines family. But now, both sides of the child's family claim they know nothing about the child's whereabouts.

Meanwhile, Detroit police took a kidnapping report but the state police did not issue an amber report. Sources also told the station that on Thursday night police were searching for the baby and they would visit the families to see if anyone had the child.

Anyone with information on Evelyn's whereabouts is asked to contact the Detroit Police Department at 313-267-4600 or call the DPD tip line at 313-596-2313.

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by Harden_Tar August 30, 2011 7:25 AM EDT: Planned. A diversion. Grab the kid. Executed to perfection.; Reply to this comment


by ppaulville August 21, 2011 12:24 PM EDT: Detroit. Fail.; Reply to this comment

by Jaylah54 August 21, 2011 4:21 AM EDT

If the father shot and killed the mother just a week ago, he can *claim* it was self-defense, but I would assume that the investigation is still on-going.

If it was known that he was the shooter, common sense tells me that he would be up on homicide charges and that his "self defense" claim would have to be decided by a court.

So what in hell was the court doing awarding custody of a 4-month old child to an admitted killer?

Plant or no, it sounds like Evelyn is far safer wherever she is.

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by Jaylah54 August 21, 2011 8:37 PM EDT: You're well named, Vomit.

by dharry77 August 20, 2011 10:36 AM EDT

Savages.

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by -LiftingSkirts- August 20, 2011 11:15 AM EDT: no ess! The dad shoots and kills the mother of his baby, and is awarded custody a week later?

I am a gun advocate but I can't believe he had to use deadly force to defend himself against the mother of his baby!!?

If he had no choice, then he is a complete wimp or the mother is a monster.

What a strange court appearance. What kinda weird violent people are these... especially if someone had the foresight to sneak the baby away from these monsters...


by Imthaid2 August 20, 2011 11:07 PM EDT: "What a strange court appearance. What kinda weird violent people are these"....americans.

by Bush-cheney-R-Terrorists August 20, 2011 1:07 AM EDT

"goes missing" does not make any sense in English. Do it?

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by OYP26 August 22, 2011 10:14 AM EDT: I get your point; however, your point is lost when you ask "Do it?" instead of the correct "Does it?".


by rwsmith29456 August 19, 2011 11:33 PM EDT: I think this was a contingency plan in case the verdict didn't go like someone wanted. That wasn't kidnapper standing there waiting to make off with the baby, she was a plant.; Reply to this comment


by karmadenton August 19, 2011 7:01 PM EDT: Kind of sounds like she might be better off away from that bunch.; Reply to this comment

by jt92202 August 19, 2011 6:50 PM EDT

Why is there not an Amber alert? Even if some family member took her they were not suppose to so put out an Amber alert!! What good are Amber Alerts if you don't use them properly!!!!

I hope this child get home safely!!!

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by senca67 August 20, 2011 10:16 PM EDT: Tire I've always thought the same thing.


by howbizarre August 21, 2011 6:33 PM EDT: There have been plenty of amber alerts issued for children who did not have blue eyes or blond hair. More likely, police don't think "the child is at immediate risk of injury or death" - which is a criteria for the amber alert. For that matter, it sounds like many of the people writing in on this board think the same thing (i.e, those who say the baby is probably better off where she is now)


by OYP26 August 22, 2011 10:16 AM EDT: Exactly - use the Amber Alerts properly. It sounds to me that the police know more information than we do and they are not issuing an Amber Alert for a reason. I hope so anyway because if this baby turns up dead or REALLY missing (instead of a family member hiding the baby) then that would be a horrible way to learn this lesson.