Officials have arrested the suspect in a statewide Amber Alert - a father believed to be high on drugs and traveling with a 5-month-old baby, deputies said.
Kenneth Welch, 42, was wanted for allegedly trying to run over the child's mother at a Valley Center home, deputies said.
He was believed to be heading towards La Jolla or Oceanside with his infant son in the vehicle when the alert was issued Tuesday.
San Diego County sheriff’s deputies spotted a black Toyota pickup with 20-inch chrome rims and license 4X99472 at 958 Mar Vista Drive in Vista.
Deputies said they arrested Welch about a block away from the truck. Officials said the baby was found safe but did not release details about where they located the child.
Welch is a high-risk parolee who has served time in prison.
He's accused of attempting to run down his girlfriend at a Valley Center home around 2 a.m. Tuesday.
When deputies arrived to the home on Poomacha Road they found the woman in need of emergency care. She was transported to a nearby hospital with life-threatening injuries deputies said.
Officials told the public to be on alert for Welch and the truck saying they thought he was armed and under the influence of methamphetamine.