After evading capture for two months, a Florida fugitive father has been apprehended in Massachusetts, after allegedly telling his pregnant daughter to take her own life.
Gared Wayne Canales, a former Palm Coast resident, was apprehended in Massachusetts this week after being sought under a nationwide warrant since April. He was extradited to Flagler County and booked at the Flagler County jail, facing a child abuse charge.
According to court documents, Canales is accused of berating his 13-year-old daughter over the phone in April, pushing her to kill herself after the child found out she was pregnant, Flagler Live reports.
“You’re not worth it. I choose my girlfriend over you anyway, and go kill yourself,” he reportedly told his daughter.
The teen then attempted suicide on two occasions by self-harm and ingesting 14 Benadryl pills, but managed to survive both attempts.
Court documents indicate that she used a piece of glass to cut her arm before taking a baseball bat and smashing a photo of the defendant during the first attempt. On the second attempt, after taking the pills, the victim’s mother drove her to a hospital in Daytona Beach, where her stomach was pumped.
Investigators then reviewed text messages between the victim and the defendant. After uncovering the messages, the State Attorney’s Office filed a felony child abuse charge against Canales in May. The defendant had already fled the area when police arrived at his Florida residence with a warrant.
Jail records indicate that Canales is currently house in the Flagler County jail on a $10,000 bail.
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[Feature Photo: Gared Wayne Canales/Police Handout]
