'Get the baby!' Bodycam video shows officers rescuing baby from Surprise hostage situation
A baby who was shot multiple times in Surprise on Friday continued to recover after undergoing at least three operations at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Surprise officials said Monday afternoon.
The baby was shot multiple times in his lower extremities, said Sgt. Rick Hernandez, a spokesperson for the Surprise Police Department, but did not give a specific number of times the baby was shot. According to a statement from the family, the baby remained in intensive care on Monday.
Police responded to the home at about 11:30 a.m. Friday after receiving a call. When they arrived they heard multiple gunshots. One officer fired a gun at the house in response to the shots. On Monday, Hernandez said he could not provide any details about the officer-involved shooting that took place.
Officers eventually entered the home and rescued the baby.
"Get the baby! Get the baby!" officers were heard yelling in bodycam footage released by the Surprise Police Department.
Officers handed the baby off to medics and the baby was airlifted to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. Hernandez said it is unknown exactly how long the baby was injured before police were able to rescue him.
An hourslong standoff then ensued with the suspect, 51-year-old Todd Christopher Marchetti.
Police attempted to negotiate with Marchetti, but those attempts did not elicit any positive response, Hernandez said. The standoff ended when the home caught fire around 3 p.m. and Marchetti was found dead inside with a gunshot wound. Hernandez said Monday the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
According to police, Marchetti broke into the house around 3 a.m. Friday near 168th Avenue and Jenan Drive and held a woman and her 6-month-old baby hostage.
The home is owned by the woman’s parents, and police said Marchetti likely knew the woman’s family would be out of town and unable to help her when he broke into the house. The fire destroyed the home, because firefighters were unable to immediately enter the active crime scene.
Hernandez said the woman had tried to come up with multiple ways to distract Marchetti and escape to call police. After breaking into the house, Hernandez said Marchetti shot the family dog, and the woman tried to convince him to let her take the dog to the vet. Marchetti accompanied her to the vet, where the dog was euthanized. Marchetti lied at the vet about the dog’s condition, Hernandez said, telling staff that the dog had been hit by a car and providing a false name.
After returning to the house, the woman then told Marchetti she would ask the construction workers building houses nearby to fix a window Marchetti had broken while entering the house. She then was able to escape and ask the nearby construction workers for help and was able to call 911.
Hernandez said Marchetti has multiple reports of domestic violence against him, involving the woman and involving a juvenile. The woman did not have an active order of protection against him. Police had also been notified at the home about harassing and threatening behaviors, which were referred to detectives at the time, he said.
Surprise police Chief Benny Piña said many of the lingering questions, like why something like this could happen, will remain unanswered.
“It is so hugely illogical,” Piña said of the incident. He urged people who are experiencing domestic violence or are worried about loved ones to contact authorities and follow through with cases.
In a statement from the victims' family read by Hernandez, the family thanked the community for the support they've received. Two GoFundMe accounts have been set up to benefit the family as the baby recovers and the family works to rebuild their life after the fire.
Reach the reporter at cvanek@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter @CorinaVanek.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Baby shot in hostage situation in Surprise still in intensive care
