Florida man accused of kidnapping 11-month-old daughter indicted in Tarrant County
The Florida man accused in February of kidnapping his 11-month-old daughter and strangling the child’s mother has been indicted on charges including kidnapping, according to a news release from the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office.
Lancelot Dawkins, 26, has been indicted on two counts of aggravated kidnapping, assault of a family member by impeding breath, burglary of a habitation with intent to commit assault, burglary of a habitation with intent to commit a felony and impersonating a public servant.
He was also indicted on a charge of assault of a family member by impeding death from a 2021 incident, according to the release.
Prosecutors in Tarrant County in February said Dawkins has a history of violent crime across five states. He was released on a $3,500 bond the day of the assault and kidnapping and immediately drove to his ex-girlfriend’s house, choked her unconscious and kidnapped their child, according to authorities.
An Amber Alert was issued for the girl, Harmony Rodriguez, who was found in New Mexico after a 15-hour search, Fort Worth police said in February.
Edgewood Police Chief Darrell Sanchez said in a news release his department used the location of his phone to find Dawkins, searching the area where his phone was last pinged. Officers found him leaving a gas station and initiated the traffic stop.
Dawkins tried to cover up Harmony during the traffic stop and provided police with false information about his identity when asked, according to the release. When police confirmed that the man was Dawkins and the child was Harmony, they placed him under arrest and sent the 11-month-old to the Children, Youth and Family Division and notified Fort Worth police.
Dawkins was arrested on a probation violation warrant in relation to a previous domestic violence case, according to a news release from Fort Worth police.
An indictment is one of the options the district attorney has for filing charges against someone and is not a conviction.