North Carolina man accused of murdering mother of his toddler, kidnapping child

A North Carolina toddler was found safe after her father allegedly killed her mother and then kidnapped the child, police said.

On Feb. 13, police responded to the Charlotte home of Jaqusica Wilson, 27, for a wellbeing check and found her shot to death, WSOC-TV reported.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department issued an Amber Alert around 12:30 p.m. for the victim’s daughter, 3-year-old Marlaya Monet Patterson, and launched a manhunt for the missing girl’s father, Corey Lamont Patterson, 29, police said.

Patterson was taken into custody without incident later that afternoon and charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a felon.

According to WSOC-TV, Patterson allegedly killed Wilson, and then took their daughter, who was found unharmed with family.

“I just pray that the whole circumstance and the whole situation, I just pray that, one, justice is served, but also, for any child that may or may not be involved or any person that’s associated with the person,” the victim’s neighbor, Christina Sellers, told the station. “I just pray that they have peace as well as justice.”

The investigation into Wilson’s murder is active and ongoing.