CHICAGO — A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies after allegedly attacking a woman and abducting a 1-month-old baby in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood, police confirmed.
Nickolas Watts, of the West Pullman area, was taken into custody by Chicago police at approximately 12:44 p.m. on Friday in the 1000 block of West Glenlake Avenue. The arrest came just 20 minutes after the alleged assault and kidnapping occurred in the 1100 block of West Granville Avenue.
Police say Watts assaulted an 18-year-old woman and battered the infant before fleeing the scene. Both the woman and child were reportedly harmed in the incident.
Watts faces a long list of charges, including:
Aggravated Kidnapping of a Child Under 13
Aggravated Kidnapping Inflicting Harm
Aggravated Battery to a Child Under 13 with Great Bodily Harm
Aggravated Domestic Battery
Child Abduction by Concealment (Father)
Domestic Battery Causing Bodily Harm (misdemeanor)
Violation of Order of Protection (misdemeanor)
He is expected to appear in court for a detention hearing on April 21.
The incident has shocked the Edgewater community, and police say the investigation is ongoing.