PALATKA, Fla. — A man was arrested Thursday morning in Palatka and is facing many charges including kidnapping, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
Jonathan Dumas, 41, was visiting outside a residence on Coral Farms Road in Florahome, when at approximately 2 a.m., he went missing with a five-year-old child.
The mother of the five-year-old went inside the home to check on her other children and when she came back out, she noticed Dumas and the child were gone from the area.
The mother told deputies of the sheriff's office that while Dumas would visit the child frequently, he was not the father and had no custodial rights. Deputies were able to locate Dumas based on a vehicle description given by the mother and using license plate readers.
Dumas originally fled police during a traffic stop but after a short pursuit into Palatka, deputies were able to block his vehicle and take him into custody.
"Deputies were able to work quickly to find this child and recover her safe and unharmed," Sheriff 'Gator' DeLoach said in a statement.
Dumas has been charged with kidnapping of a child under 13, child neglect and two counts of resisting an officer without violence.