Boy Discovered Secure, Father in Custody Following Murders of Little one’s Mom and Grandmother in Philadelphia – NBC10 Philadelphia

A 3-year-old boy was brought to safety in Philadelphia following an Amber Alert while his father, who police say is interested in the killings of the child’s mother and grandmother, is currently in custody.

The ordeal began at around 1:30 p.m. Friday when Byron McDonald, II, 28, abducted his son from a house on the 2500 block of North Bancroft Street, police said. Around the same time, the boy’s grandmother, Tamara Aikens, 50, was shot dead in her home in the same area.

At 9:07 a.m. on Monday, the boy’s 25-year-old mother was found in a house on the 4800 block of North 8th Street and suffered a gunshot wound to the face. She was later pronounced dead at 9:31 a.m. Later that morning, an Amber Alert was issued to the woman’s son, who went missing along with McDonald.

Investigators later found McDonald’s car near the Aloft Philadelphia Airport Hotel along the 4300 block of Island Avenue and broke a window looking for clues. A SWAT team, police and fire brigade gathered around the hotel when a barricade situation was declared.

Police searched the hotel and found McDonald, his son, and an unidentified woman in a room on the fifth floor.

The boy was unharmed and McDonald was taken into custody shortly before 4 p.m. Neither McDonald nor the woman were injured, police said. The child was later placed with a family member.

Police have not yet announced any charges against McDonald, but said he was interested in the murders of his son’s mother and grandmother.

Editor’s Note (11:50 a.m. on April 23, 2021): This story has been updated to take into account that authorities are now saying the child is 3 years old.