Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Wednesday announced a state attempted felony murder charge against Routh.
“In (Routh’s) attempt to flee, on the date in question, Sept. 15 of this year, as the stop was made and traffic was slowed, an accident happened and a little girl was seriously injured and almost died,” Moody said during a news conference in Stuart. “As a result of that, we felt compelled to seek justice on her behalf and her family as they cope with her injuries.”
Days after the alleged attempted assassination at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order calling for a statewide prosecutor to oversee an investigation running concurrent with the federal investigation.
On Sept. 15, a U.S. Secret Service agent spotted Routh, 58, hiding with a rifle in shrubbery along the golf course, ahead of where Trump was playing, according to the allegations against Routh. A Secret Service agent fired at Routh, who fled and was captured in Martin County after driving away.
An 18-page affidavit released Wednesday by Moody’s office said that “when Routh fled the scene and drove north into Martin County, it foreseeably caused law enforcement to shut down Interstate 95 to preserve the life and safety of others.”
“Routh’s actions were the cause of a horrific car crash that severely injured the minor child, Routh’s intentional act of escaping the scene of his attempted act of terrorism could have easily resulted in the death of (the child), but fortunately did not,” the affidavit said.
According to the affidavit, the crash occurred on I-95 in Palm Beach County, about three miles south of where Routh was stopped by Martin County deputies. A car struck a vehicle in which the 6-year-old child was a passenger, causing a chain reaction.
“A 911 call recording from (the child’s) mother’s phone revealed that, after the crash, the family could not immediately tell whether (the child) was breathing,” the affidavit by Florida Highway Patrol investigator Nelson Tineo said. “They attempted to brace her neck as they waited for paramedics to arrive. Eventually the sound of choking or gagging can be heard on the recording. Paramedics arrived and cut (the child) out of her seat belt, then transported her to Lawnwood Medical Center as a trauma alert. (The child) was in critical condition, with severe injuries.”
Routh has pleaded not guilty to federal charges that range from possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm with the serial number removed to attempted assassination of a presidential candidate and assaulting a federal officer.
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This article appears in Dec 12-18, 2024.