Assassination at Hacienda Heights: A boyfriend of the mother of the murdered child is arrested and charged

LOS ANGELES (KABC) – The boyfriend of the mother of a murdered child was arrested and charged for the death of the girl, whose body was found in a gym bag at Hacienda Heights.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials announced the arrest of Emiel Hunt on Tuesday. The 38-year-old has been charged with murder and is expected to be brought to trial later today, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office said.

Hunt is accused of killing Trinity Love Jones on or about March 1, the prosecutor's office said, citing the criminal complaint. The complaint also states that Hunt was convicted of child abuse in San Diego County in 2005.

Hunt was arrested on Saturday, March 9 after investigators found him sleeping in his vehicle parked near the San Diego International Airport, sheriff investigators said.

He appeared in a Pomona hearing room on Tuesday. Some members of Trinity's family had a tense exchange with him during his appearance.

"Trinity was trapped with a monster," said the girl's uncle, Jamiel. "Nobody knew."

"To see him was unbearable, I was not myself, I'm sorry.

Barbara Jones, Trinity's grandmother, described the rage she had felt seeing Hunt in the audience room: "How did I feel?" . "

Trinity Love Jones' body was found in a gym bag last week, near an equestrian trail located near Colima Road and Hacienda Boulevard at Hacienda Heights.

Two people of interest were arrested in this case, which was described by sheriff officials as an investigation into a homicide. The second person of interest in the case has not yet been identified.
TO FOLLOW: A girl from Hacienda Heights was killed: A makeshift memorial pushing on a path where the body was found

Hunt is currently held on bail of $ 2 million. In the event of conviction, Hunt incurs a maximum penalty of 50 years of life imprisonment in a state prison.

Meanwhile, the family remains in mourning and has gathered more than once around a makeshift memorial located near the site where Trinity 's body was found.

"I just want to focus on my daughter's love and how she was taken too soon," said her father, Antonio Jones. "She's an angel now."

If you have relevant information on this case, please contact the Sheriff's Department Homicide Office at (323) 890-5500. You can also submit anonymous tips by calling Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).