A 27-year-old Maricopa man is facing multiple felony charges after police say he put a moving vehicle into park during a domestic dispute, causing it to skid off the road, according to InMaricopa.
Maricopa police responded around 4:53 p.m. on July 3 to a domestic disturbance near State Route 238 and Ralston Road. According to a probable cause statement, the woman driving told officers that Dillyn Whitfield had been drinking and became verbally aggressive while she was in the car with three children.
Police say the vehicle was traveling about 50 to 60 mph when Whitfield allegedly grabbed the gear shift and shifted it into park, causing the vehicle to come to a sudden stop. The woman told officers she kept the vehicle from crashing, and it skidded onto the dirt shoulder.
According to the probable cause statement, the woman also gave officers a video of the incident. Police say the video showed Whitfield threatening to stop the vehicle and “ruin the whole van.” Whitfield allegedly told police he felt kidnapped and did not remember putting the vehicle in park while it was moving.
Whitfield was arrested on domestic violence-related charges of child abuse, endangerment and disorderly conduct, according to InMaricopa.
