A woman was arrested on Tuesday in connection with the case of a black teenager who disappeared in Louisiana last year and was found dead four days after her disappearance, a sheriff said.
Janet Irvin, 37, was arrested on charges of not reporting a missing child and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, said Iberia parish sheriff Tommy Romero.
It was unclear on Tuesday what role the authorities think she played and whether she had a lawyer who could speak for her.
Quawan “Bobby” Charles, 15, was reported missing by the police in Baldwin, St. Mary’s parish, on October 30, officials said. Four days later, his body was found in a cane field in the parish of Iberia, near the village of Loreauville.
“I am confident that my office has set up an extremely strong case against Ms. Irvin,” said Romero in a video statement. He added that after Irvin was arrested, he spoke personally to the teenager’s family.
“I hope this prison will begin to help heal your family. And this case is by no means closed,” said Romero.
Charles’ relatives and others called for an independent investigation, raised questions about whether his race played a role in the police response, and asked if Baldwin police ran out of resources to search for him.
Iberia Parish is next to Santa Maria Parish, where Baldwin is. Romero said on Tuesday that the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office was not informed of a missing young man in his parish until his mother informed them on November 3, the same day the body would be found.
