Galveston Police have identified the body of a child found washed ashore in South Texas last year, and accused his mother and her girlfriend of dumping his body.
Galveston police on Wednesday identified the body as 4-year-old Jayden Alexander Lopez. His body was found eight months ago, and authorities named the child “Little Jacob.”
Police also announced his mother, Rebecca Rivera, and her girlfriend Dania Amezquita-Gomez have been arrested. Police say both are charged with fabricating or tampering with physical evidence. Investigators say they’re trying to determine whether the mother was connected to her son’s death.
Investigators made the unusual move of releasing a photo of the face of the dead boy earlier this year, hoping it would generate new leads about his identity. The department had previously released a sketch of the child with a phone number to call with tips.
Police on Wednesday said tips led to a possible name for the boy and a DNA comparison led to the positive identification.
Bryan Gaines, a supervisory senior resident agent with the FBI, called the crime “appalling” at a press conference Wednesday announcing the arrests.
“No one reported Jayden as missing. No one was looking for Jayden. Jayden had no advocate other than us,” he said. “Someone took a beautiful, innocent child and discarded him in the ocean as if he was a piece of trash.”
"No one reported Jayden as missing. No one was looking for Jayden. We had to become his advocate," said FBI SSRA Bryan Gaines #JusticeforJayden pic.twitter.com/q2cmu7IJqq
— FBI Houston (@FBIHouston) June 20, 2018
#Breaking #Justice4Jayden we have identified #LittleJacob as Jayden Alexander Lopez 4 years old at the time of death. 2 arrest made for Tampering with of Fabricating Physical Evidence @galvestonpd @CityofGalveston pic.twitter.com/LHUWt0dAz6
— Vernon Hale♦ (@ChiefHaleGPD) June 20, 2018
#BREAKING: @galvestonpd identify toddler whose body washed up on a #Galveston beach last Oct. – this is 4 y/o Jayden Alexander Lopez. His mom and girlfriend have been arrested, accused of dumping his body on the beach. #khou11 pic.twitter.com/qm3slSWWSB
— Michelle Choi (@MichelleKHOU) June 20, 2018
UPDATE: @galvestonpd release mugs of 2 suspects accused of dumping 4 y/o Jayden Alexander Lopez a.k.a. "Little Jacob" on the beach last Oct. His mom, 34 Rebecca Rivera (left) and her girlfriend 31, Dania Gomez have been charged w/ tampering/fabricating physical evidence. #khou11 pic.twitter.com/vsuIy9RZju
— Michelle Choi (@MichelleKHOU) June 20, 2018