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The infant was discovered along with the victim's identification and other possessions, while the accused allegedly drove the mother an additional three miles, before law enforcement believes he killed her by beating her and then setting her corpse on fire.
A man will remain incarcerated for the remainder of his life following the terrible and vicious murder of his former girlfriend, as well as abandoning their 7-month-old child.
Antwaun Ware, 27, was given a natural life sentence, according to a statement from the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Arizona, after he admitted guilt to a class one first-degree felony murder charge and a class six felony charge of endangerment for the devastating incident.
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The crimes took place on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, when the MCAO reports that a couple discovered the 7-month-old in a car seat on the side of the road at around 10 p.m.
Accompanying the baby were personal belongings of Jasmine Dunbar, 21, which included her wallet and ID, backpack, diaper bag, and one adult shoe, according to court records viewed by AZCentral.
Authorities were led to Ware as a potential suspect after they interviewed the godmother Dunbar lived with, according to the news source, who informed them that Dunbar had arranged to meet with Ware on Tuesday evening to take him to get a paternity test.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office reported contacting Ware shortly after 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning. He reportedly told officials he had picked Dunbar and the baby up on Tuesday -- but said he dropped them back off after a disagreement, according to court records from that time.
Authorities indicated that Ware's account would evolve throughout the investigation, with the suspect subsequently admitting that he punched her "a number of times with his fist," as stated in the police's probable-cause affidavit, before leaving her alive in a field.
In this version of events, Ware stated that he drove off with the baby. Then, according to court documents, he told police "he panicked and dropped (the baby) off ... because he saw people nearby and believed they would find her and take care of her."
He told police he went back to the field, where he found Dunbar deceased. At that point, according to Ware's statement, he placed a piece of paper on her, poured gasoline on her, and ignited her with a cigarette. He then said he watched her burn until the fire extinguished itself.
As reported by Phoenix ABC affiliate KNXV, Ware stated that he had intended to return for the child afterward, but upon approaching the area, he noticed that police were already present, leading him to take alternate routes to avoid the scene.
The victim's remains were found by helicopter at approximately 4:35 p.m. that day, according to AZCentral. Ware was initially arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder, kidnapping, child abuse, and abandonment of a body.
"This defendant's callous actions have no place in our community. Thanks to the hard work of my prosecutors, he will live the rest of his life behind bars," said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell in her office's statement.
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