Missing Boy’s Body Found in Home of Baby-Sitter

Detectives investigating the disappearance of a 2-year-old Rialto boy found the toddler’s body Thursday stuffed inside an ottoman at his baby-sitter’s house, police said.

The body of Marcus Anthony Jackson, who had been missing since Monday morning, was discovered a day after investigators said they believed the child had been murdered.

The baby-sitter, Betty Ann Mills, 28, was booked Wednesday for investigation of murder, and her roommate, Kimberly Gay Cole, 35, was booked as a possible accessory. The women already had been arrested for investigation of felony child endangerment in the child’s disappearance.

Rialto police said earlier this week that Mills had admitted hitting the boy. Forensic investigators said they found blood and other evidence at Mills’ home, leading them to suspect foul play.

But it was not until detectives searched Mills’ home a second time that the boy’s body was found. Police said the killers apparently stuffed the body into a tear in the underside of an ottoman and resealed the opening with duct tape.

The child’s mother, Marcella Jackson, said she had left her son with Mills and Cole while she moved to a new apartment. The women had two other children besides Marcus in their care at the time.