INKSTER, MI — Two young brothers were found safe in Ohio after police say their father took them from an Inkster home during a domestic violence incident that began Wednesday morning. The boys, ages 6 and 4, were later located in a cornfield near Norwalk, and authorities confirmed their father, Brandon Deandre Lee, 36, was dead.
Inkster police said the boys’ mother escaped with minor wrist injuries and called officers for help after the encounter. Investigators said the case quickly became a cross-state search involving several agencies, phone tracking and license-plate technology. Police said there was no continuing danger to the public, while the investigation into what happened remained active.
Police say the confrontation began inside a Spring Hill residence
Inkster police responded around 10:04 a.m. Wednesday to a home in the 4500 block of Spring Hill. Chief Tamika Jenkins said the mother reported that the incident had started about 8:45 a.m., when Lee allegedly tried to restrain her by tying her to a bed.
According to police, the woman fought back but Lee allegedly struck her with a firearm and restrained her before leaving the house with the two children in her vehicle. The mother was eventually able to free herself and contact police. Officials said her injuries were limited to her wrist, but the episode triggered an urgent effort to find the children and determine where Lee had taken them.
Threats by phone helped investigators narrow the search
Police said the mother later spoke with Lee by telephone, and he reportedly told her he was in Rouge Park in Detroit. During that call, he allegedly threatened to kill himself and the boys. Officers then began trying to confirm where the vehicle had gone and whether the children were safe.
Investigators used license-plate reader technology to determine the vehicle had left Inkster. Police also said they received information from Lee’s grandmother, who contacted Detroit police after hearing similar threats. When officers could not locate the family at Rouge Park, they turned to additional cellular location data to continue tracking the vehicle’s path.
Search led officers to a cornfield near Norwalk
The investigation eventually pointed officers to an area near an intersection in Norwalk, in Huron County, Ohio. Police said they were able to establish telephone contact with Lee while continuing the search, and one of the children reportedly told authorities that his father had shot himself and that they were in a cornfield.
Authorities later confirmed that Lee was dead and that both boys had been found safe. The children were then taken for care in Ohio. Police said nurses and social workers were supporting them while arrangements were made for their return to Michigan and reunion with their mother.
Several police agencies worked together across state lines
The search involved the Inkster Police Department, Detroit Police Department, Norwalk Police Department and the Huron County Sheriff’s Office. Inkster police said the cooperation was important because the children had crossed into another state, requiring Ohio agencies to help locate them and secure the scene.
Officials also credited camera data and license-plate readers, including the Flock Safety system, with helping determine where the vehicle had traveled and in what direction it moved. Inkster police said a team was traveling to Ohio to help collect evidence and coordinate the boys’ safe return home.
Police say there is no continuing threat while the case is investigated
Although the immediate danger to the children had ended, police said the case remained under investigation as officers worked to gather evidence and piece together the sequence of events. Authorities did not release further details about Lee’s death beyond the confirmation that he was found dead after the search.
Lieutenant Andrea Lebo of the Inkster Police Department also used the briefing to remind people facing abuse that help is available. She said people in domestic violence situations do not have to remain in harm’s way, pointing to the incident as an example of why victims should seek assistance as soon as they can.
Children spoke with their mother as recovery plans moved ahead
Police said the boys were able to speak with their mother by phone after being found, giving the family direct contact again after the hours-long search. That communication came while hospital nurses and social workers provided care and support in Ohio.
Officials said they were coordinating the children’s return to Michigan once evidence collection was complete. For now, police said the public was not at risk, and the focus remained on supporting the boys and completing the cross-state investigation into the domestic violence incident that led to the search.
