Mother and Boyfriend Arrested After Missing Toddler's Body Is Found in Trash

Police found the remains of 2-year-old Ezekiel Harry in a duffel bag that was placed in a trash can, according to reports

Photo: GoFundMe

Authorities in Houma, La., have arrested a mother and her boyfriend in connection with the alleged murder of her 2-year-old son after his body was found in a trash can.

Police found the disposed remains of Ezekiel Harry on Tuesday, they said in a news release.

Maya Jones, 28, and 36-year-old Jermaine Robinson have both been charged with first degree murder and evidence tampering, jail records show. The pair were denied bond, jail records show.

Citing Houma Police Chief Dana Coleman, Houma Today reports surveillance cameras allegedly captured Jones and Robinson carrying a black duffel bag from their home on the day Ezekiel was reported missing.

Hours later, the couple was seen in video footage returning to their home without the bag.

"You can see Maya Jones and Jermaine Robinson are carrying the lifeless body of Ezekiel Harry," Coleman told reporters during a press conference Wednesday, according to the outlet.

The toddler's cause of death is still under investigation, but Coleman said signs of physical abuse were evident.

"Whatever happened to little Ezekiel Harry happened in the safe haven of his home," Coleman said.

Jones reported Ezekiel missing earlier in the day. She claimed he was abducted by a person in a grey truck while she was out walking with her four children.

When an investigation led police to determine the information provided by Jones was inaccurate, they suspected foul play, according to the release.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

"This is absolutely a death penalty case," Terrebonne District Attorney Joe Waitz said, according to WAFB-TV. "What happened to this little 2-year-old shocks the conscience."

Jones' other three children are now with their father, Trey Harry, reports Houma Today.

"I'm being as strong as possible, especially for the sake of my other children," Trey Harry told the outlet.

Attorney information was unavailable for Jones and Robinson, and it was unclear Thursday if the pair entered pleas to the charges.