Man accused of prompting Amber Alert claims he was trying to help

BEAVER FALLS, Pa. — A man who is accused of kidnapping a 9-month-old baby from Beaver Falls Thursday night, which prompted a statewide Amber Alert, claims he was trying to remove the child from a “bad situation.”

Channel 11 News was there when the child was reunited with his mother after he was missing for nearly three hours.

Alexander Frazier turned himself into police in Beaver Falls following the alert. Officials said quickly after the Amber Alert was issued, Frazier contacted police and worked out a plan to turn himself in.

Investigators said Frazier went to Carter Speelman’s grandmother’s home and took him. Frazier told the boy’s grandmother that he is the child’s father, however the boy’s mother said that’s not true.

The child's grandmother, Tawnya Donley, said she was napping and the baby's mom was making a bottle when her other grandson let Frazier into her apartment.

"It was scary.  All I could do was pray and hold onto my daughter," Donley said.

Frazier’s brother told Channel 11 News that there is more to the story.

“The mother of the child invited him there. He showed up, took his boots off and everything got comfortable. At that point, I don’t know what happened. But he felt it wasn’t a good condition to stay there so he ended up taking the child and going somewhere that was a little bit better for the child,” James Frazier, Alexander Frazier’s brother said.

The baby was not harmed and is back with his mother. Frazier remains in the Beaver County Jail on kidnapping charges.

Channel 11's Courtney Brennan was the only reporter at the Beaver Falls police station as police carried the baby inside in his car seat.

A couple minutes later, Speelman's mom was reunited with her son and talked to Brennan.

"I'm just happy to have my baby back," she said.

The criminal complaint states that Frazier is not listed as the child’s father on his birth certificate. Frazier’s family members said they have paperwork that proves otherwise.

WPXI