A man who is suspected in the abuse and murder of a Hayward girl has been arrested, authorities said Saturday.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with the Merced Police Department, said Dhante Jackson has been arrested in connection with the slaying of 8-year-old Sophia Mason of Hayward in Newark on Saturday afternoon.
Jackson's arrest came after a months-long search and investigation led by Merced police with the assistance of the Merced Area Narcotics and Gang Enforcement Team and the Justice Department's Special Operations Unit.
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"The pain of losing a daughter is unimaginable, especially when that child was abused. We mourn Sophia's family and loved ones, and recognize that she should be here with us, playing, learning and growing," she said. Nice.
"Our children must be protected from violence and we must do everything we can to safeguard them. I want to thank my team members and our allies in Merced for their work on this very difficult case and hope it brings some comfort to those who loved this young man," Bonta added.
Dhante Jackson, moments after being stopped by police officers in Newark, California on September 10, 2022. City of Merced Police Department, California
Investigators found Sophia's body at Jackson's home on March 11 after Merced police received a request for assistance from the Hayward Police Department as part of the investigation into Mason's disappearance.
On March 12, the victim's mother, Samantha Johnson, who has been detained in Dublin since 2021 on previous child abuse charges, provided investigators with information about the cruelty the girl suffered that ended up causing her death.
The woman explained that the young woman lived in a shed in Jackson's yard and suffered sexual and physical abuse.
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The Merced County District Attorney's Office charged Johnson with child abuse and manslaughter and issued a warrant for Jackson's arrest in the girl's murder.
After months of searching for the suspect, investigators located Jackson hiding in Newark and arrested him.
The man will be charged with manslaughter by the Merced County District Attorney's Office.
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Officers also charged four more people, one located in Merced and three in the Bay Area, suspected of helping Jackson evade arrest.
Authorities are asking anyone with information on the case to contact Merced Police Department Detective John Pinnegar at 209-388-7712 or via email at pinnegarJ@CityofMerced.org.
With information from
NBC Bay Area
and
CBS