Missing Baby Returned, AWOL Father Arrested
The father of a one-month-old baby he?s suspected of kidnapping has been arrested.
Derik Hembree was caught in Lawton, Okla. Wednesday night on a felony warrant for the kidnapping of his daughter Brooke. He has been AWOL from Fort Carson since May and his family has been worried about the safety of both him and the baby.
Colorado Springs Police told TARGET 13 Investigates that Brooke was dropped off at a Lawton, Okla. fire station Tuesday night, with a note with all of her information.
Brooke?s mother, Nicole Brewer, says her daughter was in good health and will be back in Colorado Thursday night.
?DHS is going to fly down there and pick her up and fly back here,? said Brewer.
Hembree’s mother, Kerri Griggs, told TARGET 13?s Tak Landrock that she is relieved that her son is OK. The family was worried about his safety after he dropped off his daughter at the fire station.
Grigg?s says she hasn?t spoken with her son on the phone since May. She knew there were problems with him and the infant?s mother but didn?t understand why he would take the baby and run.
Brooke had been in the custody of the El Paso County Department of Human services. She was in Hembree?s custody since he was the next of kin, but he didn?t have full parental rights.
Police in Lawton got a BOLO (Be On The Lookout) for Hembree, earlier in the week. They suspected that he was hiding out near Fort Still, where he has military friends.
Hembree?s grandmother, Pam Calloway, says that they don?t know what frame of mind he?s been in.
?We?re scared to death, his Mom is ready to have a nervous breakdown,? says Calloway.
She tells TARGET 13 by phone that Hembree was injured in Iraq and that his personality had changed over the last year.
?He?s been in a lot of pain and I knew the Army has got him on a lot of medication nad that?s when he started to see the change in Derik,? says Calloway.
She says Derik wasn?t angry, but tired all the time. She wants him to know that his family loves him very much.
Hembree will be booked into the Comanche County Jail in Lawton and is expected to be in court Thursday morning.
TARGET 13 hasn?t learned when he will be sent back to Colorado, the process could take a couple of weeks.
