A California man wanted in the slaying of an 8-year-old girl has been arrested after six months on the run, authorities announced Saturday. Dante Jackson, 33, was arrested in Newark, Calif., around 1:40 p.m., the Merced Police Department said. He was booked into the Merced County Jail on murder and child abuse charges. Jackson is accused of killing Sophia Mason, whose body was found inside a Merced home in March after family members in Hayward reported her missing. Jackson was dating Sophia’s mother, 31-year-old Samantha Johnson, at the time of the child’s murder. “Our hearts and thoughts remain with little Sophia’s family and loved ones; we cannot imagine your pain as you continue to mourn her loss,” the Hayward Police Department said. CALIFORNIA DEPUTY CHARGED WITH MURDERING SECRET LOVER AND HER HUSBAND Dhante Jackson, 33, has been on the run for six months since Sophia Mason’s murder. (Merced Police Department) No other details were released, and police said the case remains under investigation. Johnson was arrested days after her daughter’s body was discovered. He has since pleaded not guilty to murdering the child. After Jackson’s arrest, Melissa Harris, Sophia’s cousin, told The Sacramento Bee that while she was grateful for justice, the child’s death could have been prevented if authorities had acted when the family reported their suspicions. for abuse. Sophia Mason was found murdered in a home in Merced, California in March. (Hayward Police Department) “(These agencies) had multiple opportunities to intervene and never did,” Harris said. “I hope those who minimized the distress of a young child will be fired.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Harris said Sophia’s mother has developmental challenges and believed Jackson was sexually trafficking both the girl and her mother. Jackson’s arrest was part of a coordinated effort involving the Merced Police Department, the Merced Area Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (MAGNET) and the California Department of Justice’s Special Operations Unit.
