Police: Couple who tried to run down officers had 19-month-old in car

Police say a Suffolk County couple who tried to run down officers had their 19-month-old daughter in the car.

News 12 Staff

Jan 16, 2019, 10:56 AM

Updated 1,943 days ago

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Police say a Suffolk County couple who tried to run down officers had their 19-month-old daughter in the car.
Authorities say the wild scene started as a high-speed chase. Joshua Francois, 23, allegedly sped away from state police on the Long Island Expressway around 8 p.m. Tuesday, ultimately crashing on Allegheny Drive in Farmingville.
What happened next is not entirely clear, but officials say Francois was spotted on nearby Granny Road about two hours later, riding in the car of his girlfriend, 32-year-old Casandra Diaferio. And when police tried pulling her over, they say she also refused to stop.
Investigators say Diaferio nearly ran down two police officers while trying to escape. The officers were not hurt but did have to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. They say she hit a police cruiser instead.
Both parents were arrested. Authorities say Francois had a loaded gun with an extended-capacity magazine and heroin on him at the time.
Police say the child in the back seat was unharmed.
Shortly after Diaferio appeared in Central Islip court Wednesday, her cousin told News 12 that she's a good mother and that he doesn't believe the allegations against her.
Police say the child was not injured.
Both suspects in the case face a slew of felony charges, including endangering the welfare of a child.
 


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