A man who was allegedly shot by his wife in a hotel room in Washington, DC, is now wanted over accusations of child sexual abuse, police said Tuesday.
The Baltimore County Police Department issued an arrest warrant for James Weems Jr., 57, after investigating allegations that he sexually abused at least three children at his wife's daycare in Owings Mills, Maryland.
Weems's wife, 50-year-old Shanteari Weems, was arrested after allegedly shooting her husband in a room in the Mandarin Oriental in DC on Thursday, July 21.
According to court documents obtained by BuzzFeed News, when police arrived at the scene at around 7:40 p.m., Shanteari threatened to shoot herself if they came into the room. When officers asked if someone in the room was shot, she responded, "Fuck him, he's a child molester."
After police entered the room and arrested her, she informed them that several children at the daycare she owned recently had told her that her husband was abusing them sexually. She said she wanted to hurt her husband, not kill him, and that she wanted to kill herself. They had been married for five years, she told police.
Shanteari told detectives that she drove to DC from Maryland to meet her husband on Wednesday, July 20, and she had repeatedly asked him about the accusations of child sexual abuse. Later on, she received multiple messages and calls from parents and teachers about the allegations. She brought it up again in a conversation on July 21, and it escalated into an argument. According to police, she said that Weems then stood up and moved toward her, and she shot him.
Weems was found with gunshot wounds and taken to a local hospital, police said. Shanteari was charged with assault with intent to kill.
Baltimore County police said they began investigating Weems earlier this month after being notified of the alleged abuse. Police said he faces multiple charges but did not clarify what they are.
Multiple news outlets referred to Weems as a retired police officer, and a LinkedIn profile for a James Weems Jr. states he was a Baltimore police officer until 2008. The Baltimore Police Department did not respond to a request seeking confirmation.
He is currently still hospitalized under police custody in DC pending extradition across state lines.