Dad Charged with Firing into Mom’s Apartment, Kidnapping Baby

An Alabama man faces kidnapping and other other charges after he allegedly kidnapped his 11-monthold daughter at gunpoint and fired shots into the mother’s  apartment.

The charges against Joel Bennett McCandless, 27, were announced Tuesday afternoon, according to AL.com. He is charged with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree burglary, shooting into an occupied building, certain person prohibited from possessing a firearm, reckless endangerment, second-degree criminal mischief, violation of a protection from abuse order, and interference with a domestic violence emergency call.

Vestavia Hills police said they were called to the Grand Highlands apartment complex on Sunday just before 6:30 p.m. and learned that McCandless — who does not have custodial rights — had fired into the mother’s apartment before entering and taking the baby girl.

The girl was recovered not long after in Birmingham’s Crestwood area and McCandless was taken into custody. He was held at the Vestavia Hills city jail until warrants were obtained on Tuesday. He’s being transferred to the Jefferson County Jail and will be held without bond.

According to court records, the girl’s mother filed for a protection from abuse order in June, claiming McCandless had been emotionally, verbally, and physically abusive.

“He’s also stated he would kill me if we got into a serious altercation,” the mother wrote in the application, which was successful.

“’You won’t be the one walking away,’’’ he told her, she said.

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