9-month-old Alejandro Saavedra amazingly suffered only minor bumps and bruises when his car seat slid out of the moving vehicle in Winton.
Neighbors say the young parents had been fighting when they got into their car outside this apartment complex Tuesday.
Witnesses told Action News the couple didn't take time to secure the baby's car seat in place, and when they sped away, the infant went flying out.
"I was standing right there in my yard. I was like...I just couldn't believe it. I never in my life seen anything like it. It was horrifying," Jeanna said.
Jeanna and her daughter Ashley, who asked us not to use their last names, say they watched in horror as 9-month-old Alejandro Saavedra tumbled out of his parents' Mercedes as it turned this corner at a dangerously high speed.
"The two back doors open, and the baby flies out and rolls about 4 times to the curb," Ashley said.
Witnesses say the baby was in his car seat, but his parents had not secured the carrier in place.
Authorities add after the accident, the baby's father 19-year-old Gilbert Saavedra, grabbed the car seat and tossed his son back in the car before speeding away again.
"It was just another despicable display of parenting skills," Sheriff Pazin said.
Sheriff Mark Pazin says the parents were gone by the time his deputies arrived. But they caught up to the couple in their car a short time later.
"The little baby boy seemed to be okay, but as a precautionary measure took the infant to the local hospital here in Merced," Mark Pazin said.
Authorities arrested the father and 16-year-old mother on child endangerment charges. They say the mother also assaulted a CPS worker while being questioned about the incident. But the teen's sister tells Action News she's already been released from juvenile hall and wants to see her son.
"She's a good mom, she's always there for him and everything. But when it comes to her boyfriend, everything revolves around him," Cecilia Sanchez said.
The father, Gilbert Saavedra, is being held at the Merced County Jail on a $50,000 bail.
There's no word yet on if or when the baby could be released to family members.
