Mom's boyfriend expected to be charged in death of girl whose body was dumped, stuffed in duffel bag

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (FOX 11) - Charges are expected to be filed Tuesday against the main suspect in the death of 9-year-old Trinity Love Jones, whose body was found last week on a Hacienda Heights hiking trail, according to court documents.

Relatives of the victim say the two people in custody are Jones' mother, Taquesta Graham, and her boyfriend, Emiel Lamar Hunt. According to authorities, Graham is in jail on an unrelated warrant.

Each is being held in on a $2 million bond, and Hunt is scheduled to make an appearance in a Pomona courtroom Tuesday morning where he is expected to be charged in connection to Trinity's death.

FOX 11 reached out to the Department of Children and Family Services, which released the following statement:

"We are deeply saddened by the news reported of the tragic death of the child found on a Hacienda Heights hiking trail.

In response to your request, DCFS is unable to provide information at this time. As you may know, state law protects the confidentiality of records for all children and families that come to the attention of child protective services, and prohibits confirming whether a child or family has been involved with the department. These laws are intended to protect the privacy of any siblings or family members and to respect sensitive family matters.

The highest priority for the Department of Children and Family Services is the safety and wellbeing of the children in Los Angeles County. Our mission to protect children is one we share with our partners in law enforcement and the community. We continue to collaborate toward our shared vision of ensuring every child is able to grow up in a safe and loving home."

Family members who created a memorial of candles, flowers, balloons, stuffed animals and photos near where the girl's body was found confirmed the girl's identity.

"Words can't explain what I'm feeling right now," Anthony Jones, Trinity's father, said at the memorial site. "I just want answers. I just want justice. She was just the best -- full of character, full of life, full of joy."

Jones said he learned of his youngest daughter's death through a telephone call.

Trinity's body was located around 10 a.m. Tuesday "partially inside of a black roll-away type duffel bag," with her head and upper body protruding from the partially zipped bag left at the bottom of an embankment close to Colima Road and the 3400 block of Hacienda Boulevard, near the His Lai Buddhist Temple, Lt. Scott Hoglund said during a press conference Wednesday.

An autopsy has been completed on the body of a girl believed to be between 8 and 13 years old and described as black, about 4 feet 5 inches tall and weighing about 55 pounds. The coroner's office has determined that her death was a homicide, but has not publically released the cause of death.

The sheriff's department released a composite sketch of the girl on Wednesday, along with photos of a pink long-sleeve top with the words "Future Princess Hero" and gray pants with pandas on them that she was wearing when her body was found.

County workers clearing some brush in the area uncovered the youngster's remains.

"It's a sad moment for the department, for the community, and we're going to do our best to figure out what led to the suspicious death of the child involved," Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a news conference last week. "I've directed the investigators to spare no effort to find out what happened."

Hoglund said investigators believe the girl was left in light brush adjacent to the equestrian trail in the late evening hours of March 3, about a day-and-a-half before her body was found.

Investigators are asking the public to report anything suspicious they may have seen on or near Hacienda Boulevard -- including a vehicle pulled over to the side -- prior to when the child's body was discovered.

Investigators do not know if the girl was alive or dead when she was placed inside the bag, Hoglund said.

"The motive at this time is unknown," Hoglund told reporters.

Anyone with information on the case was urged to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500, or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS.

CNS contributed to this report.