SURPRISE, Ariz. — A Surprise woman is being called a hero by the city's police department after they say she used a ruse to escape a man holding her and her infant son hostage before shooting the child multiple times on Friday morning.
During a press conference on Monday, police said Todd Marchetti, the father of the child, broke into a home near Cactus Road and Cotton Lane in Surprise around 3 a.m. on Friday and was armed with a machete.
He then held the mother, named Allie, and their 7-month-old son, Jaxson, hostage for more than eight hours.
It was during this time that police say Allie tried multiple times to escape Marchetti.
Her first attempt came after Marchetti shot a dog in the home. Allie tried to convince Marchetti to allow her to take the dog to the vet, but he refused to let her go alone and instead forced Allie to go with him and Jaxson.
While at the vet, Marchetti gave a fake name and phone number and did not take responsibility for the dog's injuries, instead saying that the dog was a stray and had been hit by a car.
The dog was later euthanized.
After returning to the home, Allie came up with another ruse to try to escape, this time convincing Marchetti to allow her to go find workers to fix a window Marchetti had broken when he broke into the home so that no one would be able to tell anything was wrong in the home.
Allie was able to go out of the window and find help. She found a construction crew at about 11:30 a.m. on Friday, who called 911.
Police then responded to a home, where an hours-long standoff ensued with Marchetti refusing to leave the home and multiple gunshots being fired. At some point during the standoff, Marchetti shot baby Jaxson multiple times in his "lower extremities." Police were able to rescue Jaxson from the home and get him airlifted to Phoenix Children's Hospital.
Police announced Monday that Jaxson has now undergone three surgeries, but is expected to recover.
“He's awake. He'll open his eyes and rub his head, and, you know, tell him we love him," Michael Norman, Jaxson's grandfather, said.
Norman said his grandson is making positive strides toward recovery, but the battle isn't over yet.
"He's alive. He's doing good. We love him. We need him in our life, and so we're thankful," Norman said.
Police released a video of officers rescuing baby Jaxson during the press conference on Monday. You can watch the video below.
The standoff ended when the home caught fire. Firefighters were not immediately able to fight the fire due to gunshots being fired and the home eventually burned to the ground.
"To watch your house on TV burning to the ground. I don't even know how to explain that to people," Norman said.
Allie's parents owned the home. The family is displaced and starting from scratch after losing irreplaceable items.
Marchetti was later found dead in the house. Police say he appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Surprise Fire-Medical Department Chief Brenden Espie said Allie's actions saved not only her life but the life of her son.
"Unlike our members in the P.D. and fire, who trained for situations like this daily, Allie had to make a split decision that will impact her life and Jackson's life forever," Espie said. "I would like her to know, she should be very proud of her decision that she made. And I don't know that any of us know what we would do when we're faced with those types of situations."
Police added that this was a domestic violence incident.
Allie's family also released at statement, which reads:
For a world that gets too exposed to so much bad these days, let me remind you that there is way more good and we have proof. Our family would like to thank everyone who has donated money, clothes, food, and more. Our family is so grateful for your generosity, kindness and compassion during these difficult times. We are so lucky to have a thoughtful family, friends, and even folks we've never met before. First and foremost, the recovery of our grandson Jaxson occupies our every thought. This focus is on his recovery right now. Jaxson is still in ICU, but making positive progress every day. He is one tough little dude. Seeing him in that hospital bed breaks our hearts, but also reminds us about how precious life is and just how much we love him. Thank you to the Surprise Police Department and Fire Department for their quick responses after shots rang out. Their quick responses is why Jaxson is still with us. Thank you. Allie is understandably troubled by the events of last Friday. Her quick thinking and intuition help saved her life as well as Jackson's. She too is very thankful for the outpouring of kindness and generosity, her work and personal friendships have been so helpful. Our home is sadly 100% gone. Most stuff can be replaced except for family memorabilia. We are trying to organize how we're going to rebuild our home. If you've ever had a house fire, you know how long this process can take. Lastly, and the family would be remiss if I didn't discuss domestic violence. I'm sure I don't have to explain the seriousness of domestic abuse. If your son or daughter is experiencing, or is the perpetrator of domestic violence, do the right thing and report it as soon as it happens. Lives depend on it. Again, on behalf of our family, thank you and thank you for all the forms of support you have showed us in the past few days. God bless, Mike, Susie, Allie, Nick, and baby Jaxson.
A verified GoFundMe page was created for the family to help pay for Jaxson's recovery.
The Surprise community is also gathering necessities, including clothing, diapers and formula for the family. Click here to learn where you can donate or contact Angela Urquia at 480-934-4919.
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