KEY POINTS

  • 57-year-old James S. Weems Jr. was shot by his wife on July 21
  • He allegedly molested kids at the daycare his wife runs in Baltimore
  • Shanteari Weems was arrested on charges of assault, intent to kill with a gun

Baltimore, Maryland -- A former Baltimore police officer who was shot by his wife for allegedly molesting kids at her daycare has been arrested on child abuse charges, police said.

James S. Weems Jr., the 57-year-old ex-officer was arrested Monday. He was in a hospital where he was admitted with life-threatening injuries after his wife, 50-year-old Shanteari Weems of Randallstown, shot him at Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington D.C, NBC News reported.

The deputies who arrived at the hotel room on a report of a shooting found James with apparent gunshot wounds on July 21. Shanteari was arrested after she admitted to shooting her husband for sexually abusing children at Lil Kidz Kastle Daycare Center which she runs in Baltimore County, Maryland.

During a search of the hotel room, the cops found two guns along with letters Shanteari wrote apologizing to the children, saying that she was unaware of the abuse happening at the daycare. The police found messages like "I’m going to shoot" him "but not kill him" and "I want these kids to get justice," Baltimore Sun reported as per court records.

Shanteari who has been married to James for five years was arrested on charges of assault with intent to kill with a gun, reports said. She is scheduled to appear in court for a hearing Friday.

Days after Shanyteari's arrest, the police issued an arrest warrant for James based on the allegations that he "sexually abused at least three children while working at a daycare facility," Baltimore County Police department announced Tuesday.

The cops said they began investigating James earlier this month after they were notified of the abuse. He faces multiple charges and remains hospitalized in police custody in Washington pending extradition.

James worked with Baltimore City Police Department from 1996 until he retired in 2005. Records show that he continued to work for the department as a contract specialist after his retirement, until 2008.

Meanwhile, Shanteari's case has gained social media attention after many people started sharing hashtags #FreeShanteari, demanding justice for her.

The investigators have requested the affected families to contact Baltimore County detectives at 410-307-2020.

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