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Florida troopers rescue kidnapped infant after high-speed chase and armed standoff

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Published  August 5, 2025 4:51pm EDT
Florida
FOX 35 Orlando

The Brief

    • A two-month-old infant was safely rescued after the Florida Highway Patrol and local deputies stopped a fleeing kidnapping suspect during a high-speed chase across multiple North Florida counties. 
    • The suspect, Maurtez Rashaad Edwards of Georgia, was disarmed after attempting to use an AR-15 rifle and later apprehended in a wooded area. 
    • The child was found unharmed and reunited with family at a local hospital.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A two-month-old infant was safely rescued Sunday after the Florida Highway Patrol and local law enforcement stopped an armed kidnapping suspect following a high-speed chase across multiple counties in North Florida.

What we know:

According to authorities, the incident began around 4 p.m. on Aug. 3, when FHP received a warning about a vehicle connected to a kidnapping out of Georgia. 

The suspect, identified as Maurtez Rashaad Edwards, 23, of Macon, Georgia, was wanted for the aggravated kidnapping of his infant child.

Troopers and deputies from the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office attempted a traffic stop on Edwards’ vehicle near State Roads 20 and 267 in Leon County, but he refused to stop and fled westbound. Over the course of the pursuit, which reached speeds up to 92 mph, Edwards repeatedly evaded officers, brake-checking patrol units and driving erratically while his child was in the car.

After multiple failed attempts to stop the vehicle using a PIT maneuver, FHP Trooper Myers successfully executed one in Gadsden County. As Edwards tried to flee the vehicle, he retrieved an AR-15 rifle and placed the barrel under his chin. Liberty County deputies safely disarmed him after a brief struggle.

Edwards then abandoned the child and ran into nearby woods but was quickly apprehended by Trooper Sanders and LCSO deputies. The infant was found unharmed, still secured in a car seat, and later reunited with family members at a Gadsden County hospital.

What they're saying:

"This successful operation highlights what’s possible when state and local agencies work together," said Dave Kerner, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. "I commend everyone involved for their professionalism and commitment to public safety."

Edwards was booked into the Liberty County Jail on multiple charges, including kidnapping, aggravated assault on an officer, cruelty toward a child and fleeing law enforcement. He also faces charges for displaying a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Liberty County Sheriff Dusty Arnold praised the collaborative effort, calling it "outstanding cooperation between multiple agencies."

The Source: The information in this article comes from a report shared by the Florida Highway Patrol.

FloridaCrime and Public Safety