Father accused of trying to kill 2 sons, himself

A family member notified police after allegedly interrupting what police called a suicide attempt.

Ernst is being charged with two counts of first degree attempted murder. A hose was connected between the car's exhaust pipe and the inside of the vehicle. They believed he meant to kill himself and his sons. Authorities say the children appear to be OK. The suspected abduction prompted law enforcement to issue an Amber Alert a couple of hours later at about 4:20 a.m., seeking the public's help in finding the 27-year-old father and the 2- and 4-year-old boys. He was arrested when police pulled him over a short time later. He is married, but he and his wife are separated.

An AMBER Alert was issued Thursday morning and canceled after the boys were found. She said Ernst had "reached his breaking point". He admitted to hooking up the hose to the vehicle, inserting the other end into the vehicle's window and then lying down in the back of the vehicle with his sons, according to police. The family member told police Ernst had been under a lot of stress recently because his marriage was ending and he was struggling with addiction.

Ernst told police he didn't intend to hurt anyone and that the incident was merely a cry for help. He thought the only way he'd be able to get chemical dependency treatment would be to do something "extreme", according to court documents.


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