An AMBER Alert issued for three children ended tragically when the abductor crashed, resulting in the death of one child and leaving two others hospitalized.
On Thursday morning, the AMBER Alert was issued in Virginia Beach for three children taken by their father, Dana Plummer, 36. Late Wednesday night, Plummer abducted his three children—a 7-year-old son, a 5-year-old son, and a 16-month-old daughter—after stabbing their mother and his stepdaughter, according to WTKF.
NBC Washington reports that the county fire department stated the crash occurred just after 9 a.m. on the Outer Loop of Interstate 495 at the Branch Avenue ramp in Maryland.
Plummer fled after an attempted traffic stop by the Virginia State Police in Fairfax County. During the chase, Plummer flipped the SUV, resulting in injuries to his two children and the infant’s death later at the hospital. Plummer was also hospitalized.
WTKF reports that two weeks before the abduction, Plummer had been “administratively separated” from the U.S. Navy, according to military records.
“Administratively separated, in civilian terms, means your commander is, in effect, trying to fire you, which ends your military career,” according to military news site Military.com; however, it is not an honorable or dishonorable discharge.
In March 2024, Plummer had multiple firearms removed due to showing signs of paranoid schizophrenia.
Plummer also had an episode in a restaurant in March while dining with two of his children. Police found him carrying a gun, which Plummer claimed was for his protection, as he felt his life was in danger.
Earlier that day, Plummer had called the police to his residence, reporting noises in his attic and expressing concerns that someone might be spying on him. The police found nothing.
Plummer is currently facing multiple charges in Virginia Beach for the alleged stabbing of his children’s mother and stepdaughter, both of whom were hospitalized. Additionally, he faces charges related to the police chase that ultimately ended in his youngest child’s death.
Plummer may also face charges in Maryland since the crash and the infant’s death occurred across state lines.
Virginia Beach police stated he is currently charged with aggravated malicious wounding, parental abduction, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and domestic assault.
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[Featured image: Zariyah Plummer/Virginia State Police]
