Family frustrated as man wanted for Merced murder of Sophia Mason, 8, still on the run

Family members of 8-year-old Sophia Mason, whose body was found in a Merced home in March, are renewing their call for information leading to the arrest of her alleged killer.

Dhante Jackson, 34, has an outstanding murder warrant for his arrest in Sophia’s death.

Meanwhile Sophia’s mother, Samantha Johnson, 31, remains in custody at the John Latoracca Correctional Center, accused of murder and child abuse. She has pleaded not guilty.

Johnson was arrested in March by Hayward police after Sophia’s family learned the child was no longer in her mother’s care and had gone missing.

Acting on a tip from Hayward police, Merced police on March 11 found Sophia’s body inside the Barclay Way home where Jackson lived in Merced. Jackson has been on the run ever since.

According to court documents, based on Johnson’s statements to police, Sophia was treated with extreme cruelty by Jackson, who allegedly sexually and physically abused the child and kept her in a shed in back of the house.

Members of Mason’s family say they are frustrated at the pace of the hunt for Jackson, hoping that law enforcement involved in the search have updates for them soon.

“We’re a month and a half out from Sophia’s body being discovered, and it doesn’t seem like apprehending Dhante is a priority for them,” said Melissa Harris, an older cousin of Mason’s and a spokesperson for the family.

“She was a victim of trafficking and we’re not putting the focus on where it needs to be, which is bringing Dhante to justice.”

According to Merced Police Detective-Sgt. Kalvin Haygood, authorities are still actively looking for Jackson, who is believed to be in the San Francisco Bay Area, possibly in the city of Hayward.

The $3,000 monetary reward for info leading to his arrest remains the same, but that may change in the future. According to Haygood the process involves applying to the Governor’s Office for an increased amount of reward money.

Haygood said Jackson is still a high priority person on the department’s list of people to catch. “We want to see this guy get caught as much as anyone else does,” said Haygood.

Haygood said the department has received numerous tips but unfortunately there has been no arrest. “He’s a dangerous criminal. He took part in the death of an 8-year-old child so he’d be considered a danger to any community he’s currently hiding out in,” said Haygood.

Sophia’s family members said Johnson took her daughter last year from extended relatives in Hayward, who had raised the child after she was born.

The family told the Sun-Star that Sophia lived with her grandmother and had a stable, happy childhood until Johnson, at Jackson’s behest, took the girl.

Johnson and Sophia then lived in a series of homeless shelters up and down the state during this child’s last year of life.

Sophia’s family said they repeatedly alerted Child Protective Services in Alameda County, the Hayward Police Department and the Hayward Unified School District about concerns over the child’s safety, to no avail.

Those agencies have not commented on the family’s allegations.

Jackson regularly beat Sophia, the family said, and as time passed, they weren’t allowed to see or speak to the child.

The last time they saw her alive was over a video call late last year before Sophia was no longer allowed to use video to contact her family.

Jackson is described as 5-feet-11-inches tall, weighing around 220 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Jackson also has family in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sgt. Haygood said the Merced Police Department wants people to contact them with any information they may have about Jackson’s whereabouts, (209) 385-6998.

Tips are kept confidential and you can remain anonymous.

Tips can also be made through Crime Stoppers or the Merced police website.

This story was originally published April 25, 2022 at 3:17 PM.