11-Year-Old Daughter Mourns Mom Who Died Trying to Save Baby Brother During Kidnapping: 'I Love Her So Much'

Brittany Walker-Martie.Photo: twitter

Family and friends are mourning the loss ofBrittany Walker-Martie, a 30-year-old mom who tragically died trying to protect her infant son during a kidnapping in Arizona.

Walker-Martie succumbed to the injuries she sustained during the abduction of her 10-month-old son Abel Maes in a residential neighborhood on Tuesday night, according to thePeoria Police Department.

“She was my mommy,” she said of Walker-Martie. “She was always there for us.”

Walker-Martie’s best friend, Heather Giard, said that the mom “died for her son.”

“She died trying to save little Abel,” Giard said.

According to police, Walker-Martie was thrown from a moving minivan when her son’s noncustodial father, Eric Maes, allegedly jumped into the driver’s seat and started driving away with the infant inside.

Officers responding to a report of a domestic violence incident found Walker-Martie on scene with life-threatening injuries. She was transported to a hospital, where she later died.

Abel was found on Wednesday morning after officers issued an AMBER Alert and received a report of an abandoned child located 11 miles away from where he was taken, police said.

Walker-Martie’s car was discovered abandoned at another location, prompting authorities to issue a public plea for information about Maes' whereabouts.

Eric Maes.Maricopa County Public Records

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Maes wasarrested following a “foot pursuit"in Phoenix on Wednesday afternoon after officers received a call about a possible suspect sighting, according to Peoria Police.

In apress conference on Wednesday, Peoria Police Sgt. Amanda Gaines said that Maes was initially booked on one count of manslaughter, but his charges have been amended to one count each of murder in the first degree, kidnapping, endangerment, and theft of means of transportation following an interview with the suspect.

Charges may be added or amended as an investigation is ongoing, according to Gaines.

It’s unclear if Maes has retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf or if he has entered a plea at this time.

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.

source: people.com