APPLE VALLEY, California—The mother and aunt of a missing 6-year-old boy from Apple Valley, California, have been arrested and are being held on suspicion of his murder, police say.
Jakee Raquel Contreras, 29, was arrested after she reported her son Duke Flores missing on April 25, according to a news release from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
The department said officers had responded to a request for a welfare check at an Apple Valley home and that upon arrival Contreras told them that Duke had not been seen for approximately two weeks.
Duke Flores is a critically missing child, he was last seen in the area of Cherokee & Pawnee in the Town of Apple…
Posted by San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department on Friday, April 26, 2019
“Deputies immediately began a search of the area,” the release said. Contreras was arrested for child neglect for her delay in reporting her son missing.
Homicide detectives began conducting an investigation at the scene on Friday, the department said.
“The search continued for Duke and K9 units were requested and responded to the location. Detectives gathered evidence and conducted multiple interviews throughout the day with family members,” the department said.
Aunt of missing 6-year-old charged with accessory to murder of Duke Flores https://t.co/eZvnIWSbFK pic.twitter.com/DzcR8QtVae
— Victor Valley News Group VVNG.com (@VVNews) April 27, 2019
Jakee Contreras was held without bail on a charge of murder following an interview with police Saturday, the release said. Her sister, Jennifer Contreras, 29, was arrested Saturday and also held without bail on a count of murder in connection with her nephew’s disappearance.
It is not clear if the sisters have legal representation.
Search Continues
Detectives are continuing to search for Duke.
CBS LA reported that Duke’s grandmother said she had been the last to see him and that another relative had asked for police to do a welfare check.
CBS LA quoted Duke’s uncle, Angel Gutierrez, as saying the family was struggling to comprehend the boy’s disappearance.
“I’ve known that kid since he was a baby, I remember I used to carry him in my arms … it’s emotional. I’m trying not to break down at the moment,” Gutierrez told the station.
Missing Children
There were 464,324 missing children reported in the FBI’s National Crime Information Center in 2017, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Under federal law, when a child is reported missing to law enforcement they must be entered into the database. In 2016, there were 465,676 entries.
“This number represents reports of missing children. That means if a child runs away multiple times in a year, each instance would be entered into NCIC separately and counted in the yearly total. Likewise, if an entry is withdrawn and amended or updated, that would also be reflected in the total,” the center noted.
In 2017, the center said it assisted officers and families with the cases of more than 27,000 missing children. In those cases, 91 percent were endangered runaways, and 5 percent were family abductions.
About one in seven children reported missing to the center in 2017 were likely victims of child sex trafficking.
Body Found in California
The body of a father who went missing after he jumped into the San Joaquin River in an attempt to save his son was found.
The family of the missing father of three tells me their loved one is 41-year-old Moua Lo of Stockton. He and his 1-year-old son Marcus are pictured below. Marcus is in critical condition at UC Davis Medical Center after falling overboard during a family fishing trip. @FOX40 pic.twitter.com/iavcKIyOWD
— Bridgette Bjorlo (@bridgettebjorlo) March 31, 2019
Moua Lo, 41, had been missing since March 29, when he jumped out of a boat and into the river in an attempt to save his 1-year-old son who had fallen out. From Stockton, California, Lo had been out on the river fishing with his three children.
Authorities said his body was found on April 7, over a week later by a fisherman. The coroner’s office confirmed that it was Lo, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.
Margaret Wollensak contributed to this report.
