UPDATE: Houma Police have booked the mother and live-in boyfriend in connection with the death of a two-year-old boy whose body was found in a trash can last night.
Records at the Terrbonne Parish jail show that Maya Jones, 28, was booked with first-degree murder, obstruction of justice and evidence tampering. Bond was set at $100,000 for the obstruction and tampering charges, but there is no bond for the murder charge, records show.
Jermaine Robinson, 36, identified by police as Jones' live-in boyfriend, also was booked with first-degree murder, obstruction of justice and evidence tampering, as well as drug charges.
Robinson also was booked on two warrants for failure to appear on previous charges, and on a warrant for simple criminal damage to property.
During a press conference today, Houma Police Chief Dana Coleman said that the child's body was found in a black duffle bag that was stuffed into a trash can. He showed stills from surveillance video showing Jones and Robinson carrying the bag behind a business near where the body was found. He said before the body was found, people from city, parish, state and federal agencies were working to find the child.
Houma Police said Ezekiel Harry went missing Tuesday afternoon, and his body was found on Daspit Street just before 6 p.m.
His mother, Maya Jones, and her live-in boyfriend, Jermaine Robinson, 37, both of Houma, are in custody in connection with the death. Police say they are "facing charges relative to First Degree Murder, Obstruction of Justice and other related charges."
Police say they will release more information once the two are booked.
Police began working the child's disappearance around noon, when they got a call saying he had been abducted from Mahler Street.
During the investigation, Houma Police say they contacted the mother, who initially stated she was along Bayou Terrebonne with her kids when a subject in a grey truck passed, grabbed Harry and fled.
Houma Police, through investigation immediately developed information that the report released by the mother was inaccurate.
As the investigation continued, Houma Police learned the mother, had left her residence on Cadiere Street on foot with Harry and her other three children, all between 5 and 10 years of age.
When they arrived near the area of Bayou Terrbonne, the woman went to nearby houses to say her child had been abducted.
They started looking for him, and asked residents in the area to be on the look-out for the child, giving a description of his clothing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to submit a tip anonymously through Crime Stoppers Bayou Region by phone at 1-800-743-7433 or online at www.crimestoppersbr.org. Tipsters could be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 in cash if the information leads to an arrest.
