McTear faces 1st degree murder charges

TAMPA - The suspect in the kidnapping and death of a 4-month-old infant will face first-degree murder charges, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Investigators say McTear, 21, tossed the infant out of a car window on the interstate this morning after beating the child's mother and throwing the baby down on concrete.

Emergency crews tried unsuccessfully to perform CPR on Emanuel Wesley Murray, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

The sheriff's office said McTear would face first-degree murder charges based on preliminary results from the Medical Examiner's Office.

Police arrested the McTear this morning.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded to a domestic violence call at the Mirabella Apartments in the 12400 block of 15th Street North in Tampa around 3:15 a.m.

The 17-year-old mother said her ex-boyfriend beat her and threw her infant son down on the concrete, then took off with the child.

"We didn't hear anything until she started running and that's when everybody came outside and the baby was gone by then," neighbor Latisha Allard said.

Deputies were in the process of trying to issue an Amber Alert when a FOX 13 photographer found the baby along the side of the road in the southbound lanes of I-275 at Fowler Avenue around 4 a.m..

"On the side of the road, I saw something out of the corner of my eye and at first I thought it was a baby doll and then as I was thinking about it more, I thought that was awfully big for a doll," Jason Bird said.

Bird, who was on his way to work, turned around and went back.

"It's kind of morbid, but I mean I could tell that it was dead, it was laying there with its eyes open and I couldn't look at it," Bird said. "It freaked me out, but fortunately law enforcement came right away.

Watch the interview with FOX 13 photographer Jason Bird:

Investigators say Richard McTear Jr., 21, tossed the the infant out of a window on the interstate.  Emergency crews tried unsuccessfully to perform CPR on Emanuel Wesley Murray, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

Tampa police found the blue four-door Impala McTear was driving at his home in the 1600 block of River Cove , but did not immediately locate McTear.

Shortly after 9 a.m., officers arrested McTear in the 3800 block of Arlington Drive.

As officers led McTear to a holding area at the sheriff's office on Falkenburg Road a reported asked, "How can you throw a baby out the window?

"It's a dirty game," McTear replied.

Arrest records show McTear has a lengthy criminal history, including felony battery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and domestic battery by strangulation. According to the Florida Department of Corrections website, McTear was a fugitive on a 2008 felony battery charge in Hillsborough County.

"We are leaving no stone unturned in this case.  It's a tragic, tragic incident," HCSO Major Harold Winsett said. "Difficult to put into words or terms."