A mother who had been wanted by Indiana police since her 5-year-old son’s body was discovered inside a suitcase in 2022 was apprehended this week in Los Angeles, authorities say.
Dejaune Ludie Anderson, 38, is suspected of killing her son, Cairo Ammar Jordan, whose body was discovered in a hard-shell suitcase in rural Washington County, Indiana, in April 2022, according to state police.
Anderson’s arrest warrant was issued in October 2022 on accusations of murder, neglect of a dependent resulting in death, and obstruction of justice, according to Indiana State Police. However, the mother escaped arrest for over a year.
A detective got information from a “concerned citizen” last week, leading officials to discover and arrest Anderson in Arcadia, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, as she attempted to board a train on March 14, according to a news release.
Anderson is still being held without bail, according to Los Angeles County jail records. She waived extradition during a court appearance on Monday and will be transferred to Indiana, according to the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office, which represented her during the hearing. It is unclear whether Anderson has sought further legal assistance.
The bag with Cairo’s body had a “distinctive Las Vegas design on its front and back” and was discovered by a man searching for mushrooms in a thickly wooded region, authorities stated at the time.
According to investigators, an autopsy revealed that the infant died of electrolyte imbalance, most likely caused by viral gastroenteritis. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the illness is a stomach and intestine inflammation that causes vomiting and diarrhea, which can lead to dehydration over time.
Another lady, Dawn Elaine Coleman of Shreveport, Louisiana, was arrested in San Francisco in 2022 in connection with Cairo’s death, CNN reports.
Coleman eventually pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and received a 30-year jail sentence, five of which were suspended for probation, according to Indiana court records. CNN has contacted Coleman’s attorney for comment.