After months long manhunt, police arrest mother's boyfriend in killing of 8-year-old girl in Merced

Dhante Jackson was taken into custody Saturday in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Newark on suspicion of killing Sophia Mason, police and the California attorney general's office said.

Investigators determined the child suffered continuous physical abuse, was malnourished and at times was forced to live in a shed in the backyard of Jackson's home, Merced Police Department Lt. Joe Perez said during a news conference Sunday.

Jackson, 34, also faces murder and child abuse charges. It wasn't known Sunday if he has an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Sophia twice personally told social workers that her mother had choked and hit her, according to child-welfare documents uncovered by the Bay Area News Group.

At one point, the internal documents show, a teacher and a social worker reported grave concerns over what they considered signs of abuse.