Man charged with trying to abduct infant heading to trial

O'HARA TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A man charged with trying to abduct a baby he says is his son will go to trial.

Ashton Curtis, his mother, Kimberly Maine, and her boyfriend, John Hall, are charged with taking the infant from the mother’s O’Hara Township home without her permission Dec. 28, 2018.

All three will go to trial after the baby's mother testified in court that she and Curtis were in an on-and-off relationship since 2015 but that no father is listed on the child’s birth certificate.

Investigators say Curtis, Maine and Hall admitted they planned to take the child back to Texas.

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The situation created a chaotic "be on the lookout" alert from Pennsylvania State Police and shut down a portion of Interstate 70.

Despite the chaos and the charges, the suspects' attorney told Channel 11 they didn't do anything wrong.

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All three adults were arrested on Interstate 70 in Claysville, nearly two hours after police say Curtis took the baby.

When the child's mother learned Curtis was driving from Texas to her house to see the baby, she testified:

"I texted him you better not be coming to steal my baby...I had a weird feeling."

"My client very much wants to have a relationship with his son, a meaningful relationship with his son. That's our goal in the long term," said attorney Jack Puskar.

He argued they have proof Curtis is the father, and according to the law, his clients did nothing illegal by taking the child.

"My clients never intended to abduct the child. My clients intended to visit with the child. That was their intent. I don't know what their long-term intent was but it will be resolved at the Common Pleas level," he said.

Channel 11 is not identifying the mother since she's considered a victim in this case. All three suspects are scheduled to be arraigned downtown next month.

Cox Media Group