Parolee in Tuesday Manhunt to be Arraigned

A parolee accused of severely beating his girlfriend near their Pauma Valley home and fleeing with their baby, who later turned up safe, is scheduled to be arraigned today.

Kenneth Wayne Welch, 42, was booked into jail on suspicion of attempted murder, assault, child endangerment, domestic violence, evading police and violating conditions of his parole. He was being held without bail pending arraignment, which was scheduled for early this afternoon.

Deputies investigating a reported domestic dispute shortly after 1:30 a.m. Tuesday found the defendant's girlfriend in a neighborhood off the 22000 block of State Route 76, sheriff's officials said.

The victim told investigators that Welch had attacked her during an argument as they sat with their son inside a parked vehicle in the area, not far from their home on the La Jolla Indian Reservation, Lt. James Bolwerk said.

The badly hurt woman managed to escape and run off, after which Welch drove away with the child. Bolwerk said. Medics took the victim to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries to her head and face.

Authorities, meanwhile, issued a statewide child-abduction alert while trying to locate Welch, who was believed to be armed with a knife, to pose a threat to the baby and possibly suicidal, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Several hours later, a relative of Welch's who lives in Oceanside called police to report the suspect had dropped off the infant and left, the lieutenant said. The child, who was unharmed, was taken into protective custody.

Shortly before 10 a.m., deputies spotted Welch driving through western Vista. Following a brief road and foot chase, they arrested him in the 1100 block of Marine View Drive, just east of South Melrose Drive, Bolwerk said.