Baby is safe after Amber Alert suspect is nabbed in Wilsonville

WILSONVILLE, Ore. - A young father who took his 8-month-old son from a babysitter in Washington state, making him the subject of an Amber Alert, was later taken into custody in Oregon.

Ismail Hashem, 23, does not have custody of his son, Jayce, and there is also a restraining order in place barring him from having contact with the child.

According to Longview Police, Hashem forcefully took his son from a teenage babysitter Friday morning and then took off. The babysitter called police after chasing Hashem out the door and an Amber Alert was issued.

Four hours later, Oregon State Police Sgt. Fred Testa spotted a 2012 black Nissan Altima, which the suspect had reportedly fled in, heading southbound on Interstate 5. The sergeant stopped the vehicle in a gas station parking lot west of I-5 in the north Wilsonville area.

Testa said he had set up along I-5 with the vehicle description and license plate number in hand. He saw it drive by, pulled in behind, called for backup and followed it.

Hashem was taken into custody and one other person was arrested as well. He was later identified as 30-year-old Joseph Eugene Leyva of Kelso, Wash. The child was found safe in the vehicle.

According to Oregon State Police, Hashem and Leyva are in the Clackamas County Jail facing fugitive from justice charges. Other charges are possible, police said.

Kerry Wimberly, an employee at a Chevron, witnessed the arrests.

"I heard the cop yell, 'Get out of your car' and then he had his gun already drawn and everything," Wimberly said. "And when I looked over there the guy was just starting to get out and then he got him on the ground, pulled him back up to his knees, to his belly, hands up in the air, and then he just waited for the other cops to arrive."

The boy is now in state custody. Police initially said they were reuniting the boy with his grandparents, who have temporary custody right now. It is unclear at this time what changed.

They say the boy's mom is considered transient and records show she is going through a divorce with the baby's father.  A hearing, as part of a custody case, was scheduled for Friday.

Longview police detectives are in the process of getting an arrest warrant for Hashem in order to bring him back to Washington state for prosecution.

THE ORIGINAL AMBER ALERT INFORMATION WE POSTED

An Amber Alert has been issued out of Longview after an 8-month-old baby was taken by his father.

Ismail Hashem, 23, was last seen with his son, Jayce Hashem, in the area of Parkhill Drive in Longview.

The car that police are looking for is a 2012 black Nissan Altima with Oregon plates 434 FPV.

Another vehicle of interest is a 2005 silver Toyota Highlander with Washington plates 420 TUF. Police say the vehicle belongs to one of the father's friends.

The father does not have custody of the child and took him from a babysitter around 9 a.m. According to Longview police, a teenage babysitter was at the family's house and got into a shoving match with the child's father. The babysitter called police after chasing the father out the door.

Hashem was last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and the baby had only a diaper on. Police say the father has ties to both Texas and Egypt.

Anyone who spots them is asked to call 9-1-1 immediately. For other tips that might help investigators, call the Longview Police Department at (360) 442-5929.

Father's Description

• Egyptian male
• Black hair
• Brown eyes
• Weighs 140 pounds
• 5 feet, 9 inches tall
• Last seen wearing a black hooded sweatshirt

Baby's Description

• Egyptian male
• Black hair
• Brown eyes