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, eluded capture for six months with the help of three accomplices who provided him money, shelter and transportation, Merced police officials said Sunday.

Jackson, 34, was arrested on Saturday in the Bay Area community of Newark and returned to Merced County where he is charged with second degree murder and felony child abuse for the death of Mason.

Also arrested were Daberka Thompson of San Jose, Laronna Larkins of Merced and Mayra Gonzalez of Newark. Each suspect is facing a charge of accessory to murder after the fact.

Jackson had an outstanding murder and felony child abuse warrant for his arrest in Sophia’s death. The child’s body was found inside a Barclay Way residence in Merced 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.

During a Sunday press conference at police headquarters, Merced police and state Department of Justice officials provided some new details on how they finally captured Jackson.

Lt. Joey Perez said that during the past six months detectives issued 20 search warrants, interviewed numerous witnesses and family members, analyzed hundreds of hours electronic data and spent hours conducting surveillance.

It all paid off, Perez said, when agents with the state DOJ and members of the Merced Area Gang and Narcotic Enforcement Team arrested Jackson outside of a home in Newark.

In a photo released by Merced police, Jackson is shown wearing a t-shirt that says “Tyson Tough.” He also grew a beard.

Detective John Pinnegar, who delayed retiring until Jackson was caught, said the accomplices helped hide him along with providing him transportation. At one point, Jackson was trying to make his way to Las Vegas where he has family, but he was deterred.

Pinnegar was at Sunday’s press conference and was thankful Jackson is in jail.

“The motivation to stay was to make sure we got him into custody and to get justice for Sophia and her family,” Pinnegar said.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta also attended Sunday’s press conference and applauded the work of the Merced police, Merced Area Gang and Narcotic Enforcement Team and the DOJ’s Special Operations Unit.

“As much as I am grateful that Dhante Jackson is behind bars, like so many of us up here I am also damn angry,” Bonta said. “I am damn angry that we are here because little Sophia should be alive, she should be playing, learning and growing up. She should be pursuing her dreams but unfortunately she is not. And those accused of her murder must pay a steep price for their abhorrent crimes.”

Merced County Deputy District Attorney Katie Gates, the prosecutor in the Jackson case, expects the defendant to be arraigned on Tuesday. Jackson remains in the Merced County jail with no bail.

A trial date for Samantha Johnson, Sophia’s biological mother, has not yet been set.

If convicted, Jackson and Johnson face a minimum of 15-years-to-life in prison. However, Jackson has a previous felony strike and it could double his sentence to 30-years-to-life in prison.

A cousin of Sophia said Sunday that while she is thankful Jackson was arrested, her death has forever changed her family.

“No amount of punishment can be just for what he did to Sophia,” said Melissa Harris.

Police have said Sophia was the victim of long-term abuse. By the time Merced police found her severely malnourished body inside a Merced home, she had been dead about a month. Perez said she was forced to live in a backyard shed or inside of a closet.

“In my 20 years of law enforcement this case is the most disturbing and horrific I have seen,” Perez said. “To know what that poor little angel went through at the hands of pure evil breaks my heart.”

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 and Family Services in Alameda County, the Hayward Police Department and the Hayward Unified School District.

She said none of those agencies would help their family. The Sun-Star has previously reached out to those agencies, but they declined comment on the family’s allegations. A Bay Area News Group investigation into the case also found deep deficiencies at Child and Family Services in Alameda County.

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.”