Peoria kidnapping suspect ‘medically incapacitated’ after suicide attempt
Feb 18, 2021, 1:34 PM | Updated: Feb 19, 2021, 7:37 am
Eric Maes (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Mugshot)
(Maricopa County Sheriff's Office Mugshot)
PHOENIX – Prosecutors dropped charges against the man accused of kidnapping his infant son in Peoria and killing the boy’s mother during the abduction “as an act of mercy for his family” because he is “medically incapacitated,” authorities said Thursday.
Eric Maes, 30, has been hospitalized since he attempted suicide while in custody on Saturday. He was arrested last week and charged with first-degree murder.
“Mr. Maes became medically incapacitated,” MCAO spokeswoman Jennifer Liewer told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “At the request of his family, they asked that we dismiss these charges so that they would have the ability to make a medical decision on his behalf and to have access to him.”
“He is in a very serious condition.”
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Prosecutors made the request Wednesday night to dismiss the case without prejudice, meaning charges can refiled, and it was approved by a Maricopa County Superior Court judge.
“Obviously if there was going to be any type of recovery on his behalf, these charges would be immediately filed,” Liewer said.
“I want to be very clear that the dismissal of these charges was done as an act of mercy for his family. This has been a tragedy all the way around.”
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said Thursday that it appeared Maes would not survive. The agency is investigating how Maes harmed himself in one of its jails.
On Feb. 9, Maes allegedly kidnapped 10-month-old Abel Maes near 91st Avenue and Deer Valley Road and drove off in the van belonging to Brittanie Martie, the child’s mother.
Martie, 30, was seriously injured during the incident and died at a hospital.
The events triggered an Amber Alert. Abel was found safe on the doorstep of a residence near 19th and Peoria avenues early the next morning.
Later in the day, police arrested Maes in Phoenix.
According to arrest documents, Maes told police he intentionally struck Martie after she jumped out of the moving vehicle.
KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Taylor Kinnerup contributed to this report.
