Man accused of murdering Sophia Mason, 8, arrested after lengthy manhunt, Merced police say

UPDATE: More arrests made in brutal killing of 8-year-old girl, California AG Rob Bonta says

Dhante Jackson, the alleged killer of 8-year-old Sophia Mason, has been arrested.

Few details have been released, although a lieutenant with the Merced Police Department confirmed the news Saturday afternoon.

The case shocked the Merced community. “Our police department and task force worked tirelessly for months and months to track him down, and I applaud all of their work,” said Mayor Matt Serratto, who is also Merced County chief deputy district attorney.

“It took a lot of work and a lot of resources to get it done.”

Merced police said the arrest was a coordinated effort through the department’s Merced Area Gang and Narcotic Enforcement Team (MAGNET) and a special operations unit of California Department of Justice.

Police said Jackson was arrested at 1:40 p.m. Saturday in the Bay Area community of Newark.

Jackson, 34, had an outstanding murder and felony child abuse warrant for his arrest in Sophia’s death. The child’s body was found inside a north Merced residence on March 11 where Jackson lived.

He had been on the run since Sophia’s body was found. Details also emerged Jackson may have physically and sexually abused the child prior to her death.

The co-defendant in Sophia’s homicide, her mother Samantha Johnson, 31, was previously arrested on murder and felony child abuse charges, not long after the child’s body was found.

Reaction by Sophia’s family

Members of Sophia’s family expressed a sense of relief about Jackson’s arrest Saturday. “I am thankful, surprised honestly that justice will be served now that he has been apprehended. It has been six long months,” said Melissa Harris, Sophia’s cousin.

Still, Harris clarified that while she is happy about Jackson’s arrest, she said justice can never truly be served “because (Sophia) is gone.”

Harris’ family has been outspoken since Sophia’s body was found, saying her death could have been prevented because they alerted several agencies she was in danger, yet their pleas went unheard.

Harris says when her family had suspicions Sophia was being abused by Jackson, they alerted Child Protective Services in Alameda County, the Hayward Police Department and the Hayward Unified School District.

She said none of those agencies would help their family. Harris also said Sophia’s mother is “developmentally challenged.” Harris believes Sophia and her mother were both sexually trafficked by Jackson.

Harris also hopes systemic changes will happen to prevent cases like Sophia’s from happening again, particularly when the warning signs have been reported.

“(Those agencies) had multiple chances to intervene and they never did,” Harris said. “My hope is those who minimized the anguish of a small child will be fired.”