HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The man suspected in the death of a four-month old baby is facing several charges, including first-degree murder.

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The baby boy was found dead along Interstate 275 in Tampa early Tuesday.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Richard A. McTear is the person responsible for the child's death.

The child, Emanuel Wesley Murray, was found dead by a passerby just after 3:30 a.m. on I-275 near Fowler Avenue.

Officials say 21-year-old McTear, who lists home addresses in Tampa and Kissimmee, took the baby from after an argument with his former girlfriend, 17-year-old Jasmine Bidwell.

According to deputies, the argument happened early Tuesday morning at the Marbella Apartments on North 15th Street near Fletcher Avenue.

During the argument, McTear grabbed the baby and threw him down onto the concrete, officials said.

He then picked up the baby and fled the scene.

Authorities said he may have thrown the infant from his car as he sped down the interstate.

Deputies said they located McTear's car earlier in the morning but had to search several more hours before tracking him down.

McTear was located in Tampa just after 9 a.m. on Arlington Drive. Officials say a citizen spotted him and called deputies to turn him in. McTear tried to run when deputies arrived to arrest him, but they apprehended him and took him to the Falkenburg Road facility for questioning.

McTear cussed at reporters and said "it's a dirty game" as deputies took him in. He was later transported to the Orient Road Jail.

He is listed as a fugitive on the Florida Dept. of Corrections Web site. He was previously convicted of a felony battery.

McTear is facing charges of first-degree murder, burglary with battery, felony battery, aggravated child abuse and kidnapping.

Bidwell filed for a domestic violence injunction against him last month, but deputies say it was dropped Monday when she didn't show up in court.

"He was a happy baby, he was a happy baby," said Murray's great aunt. "She was a wonderful mother trying the hardest she could."

"It's a very sad case, a very sad case," said Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Debbie Carter. "It's garnered a lot of attention. The story has reached out internationally with people who are touched by the horrific incident."

Bidwell was treated at a local hospital and has been released. Family members say she is staying at an undisclosed location for her safety.

The baby's father is in prison, according to family members, and has been notified of his son's death. He reportedly went to prison while Bidwell was still pregnant.