The father of a baby boy who was found floating in the East River has been arrested after fleeing to Thailand.
James Currie, 37, is being returned to New York City to face charges.
“I anticipate his arrival back within a week. That will happen and when he gets back to New York he will face the arrest warrant that exists,” Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said.
Currie is expected to face charges of concealment of a human corpse after allegedly dumping 7-month-old Mason Saldana in the East River. The cause of death hasn’t been determined yet, but once it is, Currie could face additional charges.
Tourists spotted Saldana floating in the water on Sunday afternoon. One of them jumped into the water and pulled the boy to shore.
Saldana’s mother gave her son to Currie on Saturday afternoon. A day later, Currie was spotted walking near the South Street Seaport. He then boarded a plane to Thailand.
The mother reported the child missing after finding out that Saldana hadn’t been dropped off at daycare. The parents were reportedly in some kind of custody dispute.
“There will not be a good ending to this story. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the mother,” Shea said.
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