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Port Arthur man pleads guilty before trial; accused of shooting ex-girlfriend, kidnapping infant

Police said the 7-month-old infant the suspect kidnapped was his biological child.

PORT ARTHUR, Texas — Jury selection for the trial of a man accused of shooting his ex-girlfriend and kidnapping her 7-month-old baby wrapped up on Monday.

A jury was seated and testimony was set to begin Tuesday for 27-year-old Nathan Roberts Jr.'s trial. Before testimony began, the defendant changed his plea to guilty.  A sentencing date will be set for some time in December.

Roberts is charged with aggravated kidnapping, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a controlled substance, and failure to appear in court. 

Roberts is currently being held in the Jefferson County Jail on a $400,000 bond.

Related: Man in custody after allegedly shooting ex-girlfriend, kidnapping infant; child reunited with mother

The alleged incident took place in the 4300 block of Lewis Drive in Port Arthur on Monday, June 8, 2020.

Roberts was taken into custody after police said he forced his way into his ex-girlfriend's house, shot her in the hand, kidnapped her baby, then fled the scene in a gold Jeep Cherokee. The infant that was kidnapped is Roberts' biological child, according to police. 

Shortly after Nathan fled, Port Arthur Police found the Jeep, but Roberts nor the baby was inside. Law enforcement was able to ping Roberts' cellphone at the 600 block of 7th Avenue in Port Arthur, in an area where the abandoned vehicle was located, according to file stories. 

Police were able to locate Roberts after an intense search. The child was reunited with its mother, and the mother's injuries were considered non-life-threatening. 

Credit: Port Arthur Police Department

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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.

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