Mother’s Boyfriend Arrested in El Cajon Girl’s Death

The boyfriend of the mother of 2 1/2-year-old Sarah Nicole Toussant was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of murder fewer than 12 hours after the child’s body was discovered a few blocks from her El Cajon home.

Matthew Laverne Lesure, 28 and unemployed, was taken into custody at 4:30 p.m. at El Cajon police headquarters where he was being questioned, Lt. Robert Lein said. Lein offered few details on the suspected cause of death or Lesure’s reaction to his arrest.

The child’s clothed body was discovered about 5 a.m. Tuesday in a dumpster at 1009 S. Sunshine Ave.--a short distance from the park--by a transient who was looking for aluminum cans, police said.

The subject of an intense door-to-door neighborhood search, the child had been missing since Monday about 2 p.m. At the time, she was in Renette Park, located near the home she and her mother shared with Lesure on West Renette Avenue.

Door-to-Door Search

Police said they questioned Lesure before his arrest and he told them he had taken Sarah to the park while their apartment was being fumigated. He said he dozed off for a few minutes and when he woke, she was nowhere to be seen.

About 3 p.m., police began to search the surrounding neighborhood, assisted by a helicopter, firefighters, at least 15 reserve police officers and neighbors. Police said they also conducted a door-to-door canvass of neighbors.

“When a child that age is missing for that long . . . we thought that there might be some foul play,” Lein said.

The search continued through the night until the body was found.

An autopsy is scheduled for today, Lein said.

Police said they spoke Tuesday to the child’s father, Jeffrey Toussant, who police said is in the Navy. Toussant showed up at El Cajon police headquarters late Monday night after hearing that his daughter was missing.

Police are requesting the help of the public to locate two women who were playing lawn darts in Renette Park at midday Monday. The women may be helpful to the investigation, police said.