Mississippi authorities have detained a 53-year-old man for allegedly biting a baby and an adult woman before running off with a 2-year-old child, according to a police statement shared with Us Weekly.
Oliver Gillum allegedly left multiple bite marks and wounds on the two victims, whom he is said to have attacked during an apparent domestic dispute inside a home located in Slidell.
Investigators would only say that the incident and the arrest unfolded last week but did not specify what day. Us Weekly has contacted police for more information on the arrest.
Slidell Police said that they received calls about Gillum fleeing the home with a 2-year-old child that he is not related to — in a car that isn’t his.
Police arrived at the home and documented the baby’s wounds as well as the bite marks that were left on the baby’s mom. It was unclear where on their bodies they had been bitten.
Investigators contend that Gillum and the female victim are “significant others.”
The statement further alleged Gillum drove off in the woman’s vehicle while her 2-year-old child was still buckled up inside.
Slidell Police said that they “immediately began working to locate Gillum and were able to determine that he traveled to the Picayune, Mississippi, area.”
With assistance from the Picayune Police Department and the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office, the statement states “Gillum was located hiding near a residence in Picayune and was taken into custody without incident.”
At the time of Gillum’s arrest, the vehicle and the toddler were not with him, according to the statement.
However, moments later, Picayune Police officers located the vehicle, which had been ditched several blocks away. They also “thankfully found the 2-year-old child safe.”
The police statement stated that Gillum “has a lengthy violent criminal history” which now includes new charges for aggravated kidnapping of a child, domestic abuse battery with a child endangerment enhancement and cruelty to a juvenile.
Officials had been preparing to issue an Amber Alert shortly before the child was located.
All three victims were brought to the hospital for medical exams and treatment.
“The Slidell Police Department would like to thank the Picayune Police Department, the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana State Police for their swift assistance,” reads the statement. “Their coordinated efforts were instrumental in safely taking a violent offender into custody and quickly locating the abducted child, ensuring the child was brought to safety. This incident highlights the importance of strong interagency cooperation in protecting our communities and the most vulnerable among us.”
It was unclear if Gillum remains in custody. Us Weekly was also unable to determine the name of his attorney, or whether he entered pleas to the new charges filed against him.
Messages were left at numbers listed for him online.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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