Dad sentenced for shooting daughter in the head, getting into police chase, and crashing into a home

TIFFIN, Ohio (TCN) -- A 24-year-old man will spend the rest of his life in prison for fatally shooting his 7-month-old daughter, taking her on a car chase, and crashing into a house in a series of events he admitted were "completely evil."

Seneca County court records show Jonathan Baker was convicted Oct. 4 of kidnapping and aggravated murder with a firearm specification for killing his daughter, Emery. On Monday, Oct. 28, a judge sentenced him to life in prison without parole for the murder charge and 11 to 16 1/2 yeas for kidnapping. The terms will be served consecutively.

The incident began on June 27, 2023, when Baker went to his ex-girlfriend’s home in North Baltimore, Ohio, and took his young daughter. According to the Tiffin Police Department, Baker "indicated he was feeling homicidal and suicidal and had made a statement to the child’s mother that he killed the baby." He fled the area in a yellow Camaro with the victim.

Police reportedly spotted the vehicle and started following it. Other law enforcement agencies in the area joined the pursuit and attempted a traffic stop, but Baker "began accelerating and at a high rate of speed, erratically drove off the roadway through the front yard of one residence and crashing into another residence, knocking it off its foundation."

Body cam footage shows the sports car’s front end completely smashed with pieces of the home and gutter all over it. Police reportedly found a loaded firearm and two spent cartridges in the vehicle.

Police managed to get the infant out of the vehicle and said she was bleeding from her head and having trouble breathing. Medics transported Baker and his daughter to a nearby hospital, where the infant died from her injuries.

According to the Sentinel-Tribune, Baker shot Emery twice in the head.

He reportedly pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity after he was deemed competent to stand trial.

Baker spoke at his sentencing hearing and said, "I truly thought that day I was doing something good."

Wood County Assistant Prosecutor Brian Boos called Baker’s actions a "level of evil that is rarely seen."

Baker reportedly asked the judge before his sentencing to "please have mercy," but the judge responded, "Mr. Baker, you murdered your daughter."

The judge added, "Throughout the day you were afforded every opportunity to prevent that crime from happening."

Emery’s mother said, "The day Baker took her little life, I died a little as well."

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