Body of Texas toddler named in Amber Alert found in landfill

Remains believed to be those of Cedrick Jackson, Jr., the toddler named in a statewide Amber Alert issued early Wednesday afternoon, were found late Thursday morning in a landfill in Rowlett, Dallas police Maj. Vincent Weddington announced Thursday afternoon.

“This is not the outcome we had hoped for,” he said.

The remains, which have not been positively identified, were taken to the medical examiner's office for autopsy.

Police have arrested the boyfriend of the aunt of the 18-month-old boy.

Sedrick Johnson, 27, is charged with injury to a child/serious bodily injury, Weddington said.

Johnson confessed to investigators that he had taken the toddler and placed him in a dumpster in northwest Dallas, Weddington said.

When detectives located the dumpster, however, it was empty.

They determined the contents were taken to the Rowlett landfill, he said.

The 18-month-old was last seen at around 12:30 a.m. in the 9700 block of Whitehurst Drive in Dallas, police said.

He was reported missing at around 6 a.m. Wednesday.

The toddler had recently been placed in the temporary custody of his aunt, who told police she put the boy to bed shortly after 11 p.m. on Tuesday and discovered him missing at around 6 a.m. Wednesday.

Another child who lives at the same location “described someone who looked like a relative as having taken Cedric,” police said.

Investigators found the man, but he didn’t have the boy.

Based on the child's description, the man who took the toddler is about 5-foot-10 and weighs about 190 pounds.

Detectives searched the home and the surrounding neighborhood and were interviewing family members.

Police asked for the FBI’s assistance in the investigation.