2-Year-Old Boy's Body Found Stuffed In Trash Can; Mother And Boyfriend Arrested

Houma, Louisiana -- A couple has been arrested in Louisiana in connection with the death of a missing child whose body was found in a trash can.

The grim discovery was made Tuesday, a few hours after 2-year-old Ezekiel Harry was reported missing, Louisiana State Police said, according to KY3.

The boy's mother, Maya Jones, 28, initially claimed Harry was snatched away by a someone while she was outiside with her children.

Jones said she and her four kids were walking along the Bayou Terrebonne stream when someone in a gray truck abducted Harry and fled the scene. However, Houma police detectives found information that suggested the mother's account was false.

An endangered and missing child alert was issued for the toddler Tuesday afternoon. His body was found stuffed in a trash can on Dapsit Street around six hours after the initial alert was issued.

Investigators found that Jones left her home on Cadiere Street with her kids earlier that day. After arriving at the Bayou Terrebonne area near Mahler Street, the mother started going into nearby houses and claiming her toddler son was kidnapped.

Officials released details about Harry after he disappeared.

"Harry was last seen at noon today at a walking track near Main Street and Mahler Street in Houma near the twin bridges overpass over the Intracoastal Waterway," Louisiana State Police wrote on Facebook. "Ezekiel Harry is a two-year-old black male with black hair and brown eyes. He is approximately 33” tall and weighs about 26 pounds. He was last seen wearing red shorts and a blue and white t-shirt with an orange dinosaur on the pocket."

Following the discovery of the child's body, Jones and her live-in boyfriend, 37-year-old Jermaine Robinson, were taken into custody. They are now facing charges.

"Both suspects are facing charges relative to first-degree murder, obstruction of justice and other related charges," Houma Police Department Chief Dana Coleman said in a statement, as per KY3. "Once the suspects are officially charged, additional information will be released."

The deceased toddler's family said Harry's mother and father separated and are currently in relationships with other people.

"I feel that you, as the mother of the child, shouldn't be changing your stories on Ezekiel's whereabouts," Harry's father told WWLTV.

The boy's grandmother described Harry as "a great child" and shared that they had him on weekends.