According to court documents, his ex-girlfriend told officers Mendoza had been hitting her in the car.

Deputies said he fled when they tried to pull him over. Mendoza wound up on Walter Street in Southeast Albuquerque, according to documents.

After getting out of his vehicle, deputies saw him rummaging in the back and believed he may have had a weapon.

According to documents, he then pulled one of his children out of the car and used them to shield himself.

He then told deputies “shoot me.”

Deputies say Mendoza then ran off with both of his children.

According to court documents, he tried to run away and threw his children over a fence, falling on top of him before being placed under arrest.

The state is asking Mendoza be held without bond before trial. That motion will be heard at a later date by a District Court judge.