DAYTON, Ohio (WXIX) -A missing autistic child was found dead in Dayton, leading to the arrest of the child’s mother and another man in connection with the case, Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal said on Monday.
Chief Afzal says Ashley Johnson, Hershall Creachbaum’s biological mother, and a man named Michael Kendrick have been booked in the Montgomery County jail and are facing several charges.
Jail records show that Johnson is facing charges of obstruction of justice and failure to report death, and Kendrick is facing tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. The chief says these are preliminary charges.
Chief Afzal says that on Saturday, officers were called around 3:30 a.m. to Xenia Avenue for the report of a missing child.
As the investigation unfolded, it was determined that Creachbaum had been missing for weeks.
The chief says that at that point, the investigation turned into a potential homicide investigation.
It was then determined that Creachbaum was not missing, but had been dead for weeks, Chief Afzal said.
Chief Afzal says investigators were led a few blocks from Xenia Avenue to McClure and U.S. 35, where the remains were located, the chief said.
The cause of death is still under investigation.