PALMDALE, Calif. (TCD) — A 24-year-old father faces charges in connection with the death of his missing infant son whose remains have not yet been found.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, investigators allege Yusef Dewees killed his son, Baki Dewees, sometime between May 2 and May 3. Authorities said the victim was less than a year old at the time of his death.
The baby’s grandmother first reported the infant missing on May 3, and investigators searched an Antelope Valley landfill in hopes of locating Baki Dewees’ body, KABC-TV reports.
Investigators, however, paused their search. The victim’s mother was reportedly already in custody on unrelated charges before her son went missing. She is not a suspect in the case.
The infant, who was born in Utah in April, was reportedly last seen with his father. Officials arrested Yusef Dewees in Ogden, Utah. On June 5, the Los Angeles County Antelope Valley Court obtained an extradition arrest warrant for the father on one count of murder, one count of assault on a child causing death, and one count of child abuse under circumstances or conditions likely to cause great bodily injury or death. If convicted, Dewees faces a maximum sentence of life in state prison.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said, “Child abuse has no place in our society and such acts of violence are beyond the pale. Children are some of the most vulnerable in our society, and every child is entitled to safety and protection as a human right. We are committed to vigorously seeking justice for the victim and their loved ones.”