The Minneapolis man who sparked an Amber Alert on Friday reportedly told police he hid in his ex-girlfriend’s minivan because he wanted to spend the day with their two young daughters.
Jeffrey Lo, 24, was arrested in a wooded residential area in Cottage Grove around 10:30 a.m. Friday with the two girls, ages 1 and 3, in his arms.
Four hours earlier and three miles away, he allegedly kidnapped them from their mother, setting off a frantic search.
According to a criminal complaint filed Monday in Washington County District Court:
Lo startled his ex-girlfriend as she backed out of her parents’ driveway on her way to the children’s daycare around 6:30 a.m. Friday. He then entered the front of the van and struck the woman in the head with what he said was the clip from a handgun; the woman told police he’d struck her with a handgun, but police never found a gun.
Lo pushed the woman aside and began driving. When he stopped, the woman opened the door but Lo pulled her back in, letting her out of the van only after she began yelling out the window.
The woman sought help from another driver who tried to follow the van but couldn’t keep up.
The woman, who was bleeding from her cheek when police arrived, said she feared Lo would kill their children.
Police issued an Amber Alert, bringing officers from numerous agencies to search for the children. Following tips, authorities found the van empty in the 7300 block of Hyde Avenue South.
A helicopter helped police find Lo nearby, lying on his back and clutching the children to his chest.
Officers later searched the van and found the magazine from a 9 mm pistol loaded with 21 bullets.
PROTECTION ORDER
Lo and his ex-girlfriend separated two or three months ago after a five-year relationship. The woman sought a protection order against Lo in April, claiming he had assaulted and threatened to kill her.
A judge on May 7 approved a protection order that authorized Lo to visit the two girls starting Saturday. But the mother stopped communicating with Lo about the weekend visitation, he told police after his arrest.
He said he hid in her van because he wanted to spend time with his daughters Friday instead of letting their mother take them to daycare.
He said he carried the handgun magazine that morning to scare the woman and show how upset he was. He said he struck her with it because she slammed on the brakes, sending him into the front of the van.
Lo told police he knew what he did was wrong and that his emotions had taken over, according to the complaint.
Lo is charged with four felonies: one count of kidnapping for each child plus second-degree assault on their mother and violating a protection order.