Suspect charged with murder in case of 9-year-old girl, Trinity Love Jones, found dead in duffel bag: Sheriff

The body of 9-year-old Trinity Love Jones was found on a trail on March 5.

March 12, 2019, 1:41 PM

A man has been charged with murder in the case of 9-year-old Trinity Love Jones, whose body was found in a duffel bag in Los Angeles, authorities said.

Emiel Lamar Hunt, 38, reportedly the boyfriend of the girl's mother, was charged Tuesday with one count of murder and is set to be arraigned later in the day, the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said.

PHOTO: Emiel Lamar Hunt is pictured in a a police photo.
Emiel Lamar Hunt is pictured in a a police photo.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

The girl's body was discovered by county workers on March 5 near an equestrian trail in Hacienda Heights, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said. The victim was unidentified at the time and investigators released sketches as they urged the public to help identify her.

PHOTO: Authorities are asking for the public's help as they investigate the death of a little girl whose body was found near a Los Angeles equestrian trail.
Authorities are asking for the public's help as they investigate the death of a little girl whose body was found near a Los Angeles equestrian trail.
LA County Sheriff's Office

The victim's name was released by the sheriff's office on Sunday and investigators said two persons of interest had been detained. The cause of death was being withheld, according to the coroner.

PHOTO: A police sketch and then photo of Trinity Love Jones.
A police sketch and then photo of Trinity Love Jones.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

The sheriff's office said Tuesday that "information regarding the second person of interest is being withheld pending further investigation."

Investigators found Hunt Saturday morning sleeping in his car in a parking lot near San Diego International Airport and he was arrested without incident, the sheriff's office said.

PHOTO: A makeshift memorial is set up for an unidentified girl found dead in Hacienda, Calif., March 7, 2019.
A makeshift memorial is set up for an unidentified girl found dead in Hacienda, Calif., March 7, 2019.
KABC