A woman and her boyfriend have officially been charged for the murder of an 8-year-old girl according to a Monday release by the Merced County District Attorney’s Office.
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The child’s mother, Samantha Johnson, 30, and her boyfriend, Dhante Jackson, 34, have been charged with both murder and child abuse.
While Johnson is in custody and is set to be arraigned on Monday, Jackson is still at large, according to the office.
Hayward Police Department officers responded to a report of an "at-risk missing juvenile" earlier this month. Sophia Mason, had last been seen in the custody of her mother, Johnson, and had been reported missing by another family member who wanted to check on the girl’s welfare.
Officers did a records check of Johnson's all known prior addresses, including locations family members provided as a possible location where the two could be staying, but none of those yielded any results.
As the investigation continued with the assistance of the Merced Police Department, other addresses were discovered and it was determined that probable cause existed to arrest Johnson for corporal injury on a child.
Hayward officers finally were able to locate Johnson at an address in Newark, and took her into custody.
It was determined that it was likely Sophia might be at a different, previously identified address in Merced, which was then searched by Merced officers, who found Sophia dead inside the residence.
"We want the community to know we have worked tirelessly on this investigation and will continue to do all we can to ensure there is resolution in this matter and that justice is served," said the Hayward Police Department in a press release a couple of weeks ago. "This is a difficult and emotional time for Sophia’s family, and we cannot begin to fathom their grief."
Johnson continues to be held without bail. Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Jackson is asked to contact Merced Police Detective John Pinnegar at (209)388-7712.
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