ST. LOUIS — A man is facing charges after police said he attacked an 82-year-old woman and tried to kidnap an 11-month-old girl Sunday morning in the Central West End.
Anthony McGee, 19, was charged with attempted kidnapping, endangering the welfare of a child and multiple other crimes in connection with what police are calling a spree of assaults at about 8:30 Sunday morning.
According to a probable cause statement, police said McGee's spree started when he hit a 42-year-old woman in the head with a bottle near the intersection of Euclid Avenue and West Pine Boulevard.
Police said he then spotted two parents holding their 11-month-old daughter. Police said he tried to take the baby from their arms, but they were able to fight McGee off. He then ran off again.
Police said he then attacked an 82-year-old woman. Police said multiple recordings of the attack showed he choked the woman for more than a minute.
When officers arrived at the scene of the third assault, McGee tried to run away. Officers were able to catch him and take him into custody.
While he was being loaded into the police car, they said he "made the excited utterance 'I broke her neck,' and that statement is recorded on bodycam," according to the probable cause statement.
The 82-year-old woman suffered two broken arms, and the 42-year-old woman suffered a cut to her forehead.
McGee was charged Monday with:
- One count of first-degree assault or attempted assault of a special victim
- One count of second-degree assault
- One count of third-degree assault
- Two counts of fourth-degree assault
- One count of first-degree kidnapping
- One count of endangering the welfare of a child
- One count of resisting arrest
McGee is being held without bond.
McGee was charged with a misdemeanor two weeks ago after another incident in Clayton. Police said he punched a woman in the face on Oct. 15 while she was walking on the sidewalk on Big Bend Boulevard.
He tried to run from police in that incident as well but was taken into custody.
A message from the Washington University Police Department said the victim in Clayton was a WashU student. The message also said on Sept. 15, he allegedly spit on a student in another incident, but the student did not want to pursue charges.
5 On Your Side went to the intersection where the assaults happened, and residents voiced their concerns.
Alexander Erpelding drives for Uber Eats in the Central West End and calls the weekend assaults shocking.
"I think the CWE is kind of struggling right now but I think we can get past that," Erpelding said.
Lydia Franta, who works in the Central West End, said it's not the first time she's heard of something like this happening.
"It's always been an issue here [assaults], I just make sure to stay on the busy streets and don't venture too far on the side streets," Franta said.
Drew Falvey, who's lived in the area for six years said he wants to see more police patrolling the Central West End.
"Car break-ins are the first step…next thing you know someone's getting assaulted and shot," Falvey said. "Without your help [SLMPD], we're just stuck in a violent cycle that will never end."
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