DUTCHESS COUNTY – The non-custodial father of a four-year-old son is in police custody after kidnapping the child from the residence of the paternal grandparents at knifepoint on Thursday morning.
Isaiah Stratford Sr. allegedly threatened his father, who has legal custody of the child, with a knife before fleeing in a BMW sedan with Texas license plates. The incident began in the Town of Poughkeepsie at approximately 8:15 a.m. on February 16.
The Town of Poughkeepsie Police enlisted the assistance of several surrounding law enforcement agencies to apprehend the accused kidnapper.
At approximately 8:38 a.m., a description was broadcast to police to look for a BMW vehicle with Texas license plates operated by Stratford, described as a white man with short hair, wearing gray sweatpants.
Just after 9 a.m., the vehicle was observed by police in the central Dutchess Town of Washington. Officers pursued the vehicle and deployed tire-deflation strips to disable the vehicle. One tire was punctured but Stratford continued to flee from police.
He was eventually stopped in the Town of Dover and taken into custody at gunpoint.
This is an ongoing story and will be updated as facts become available.
