The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office has identified the little Black girl found sticking out of a duffel bag suburban Los Angeles last week. The 9-year-old body of Trinity Love Jones identified on Sunday, five days after she was found at the bottom of an embankment near a horse trail in Hacienda Heights.
Two persons of interest have also been detained in the death that was ruled a homicide, according to the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department (LASD), which released a drawing of Jones last week.
According to KTLA, Jones’ father, Anthony Jones, received a call on Sunday learning that the little girl, whose drawing and tragic death has made national headlines, was his 9-year-old daughter.
“She was the best,” Anthony said on Sunday. “Full of character, full of life, full of joy.”
Jones’ family gathered at a growing memorial of toys, candles and balloons near the site where she was found to remember the little girl, whose body was partially protruding from the duffel bag. She was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words, “future princess hero.”
“She was so nice,” Jones’ sister Myumi told KTLA on Sunday. “She really liked ‘Monster High.’ Like she was showing me all of her dolls and how much she loved them and stuff.”
It was unclear why Trinity’s family never filed a missing person report. Other information in the case was also scarce Monday morning and police have been tight-lipped about details since county workers discovered Jones’ body.
But on Sunday night, LASD released a statement regarding the new developments in the case:
“Due to the overwhelming response from the news media and tips received from the public, investigators have identified the deceased child discovered on March 5, 2019, along an equestrian trail in the 3400/3500 block of Hacienda Boulevard in unincorporated Hacienda Heights. Today, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner’s Office confirmed the identity of the victim as Trinity Love Jones, FB/9 years old, a resident of Los Angeles County. Although the Coroner’s Office determined the death to be a homicide, the cause of death is being withheld. Investigators have detained two persons of interest in this case and they are actively continuing their investigation.”
Antonio went on to say that he wants justice for his daughter, whose life was cut too soon and so tragically. LASD said it will release more information on Jones’ death at a news conference later this week.
Jones’ case was reminiscent of other young Black girls and women who have gone missing in recent months.
There were reportedly about 64,000 Black women and girls missing in the U.S., according to a report published last month.
“In efforts to address the problem of missing Black children nationwide, Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman, Robin Kelly, and Yvette D. Clarke initiated the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls in 2016,” Black News wrote. “Through the caucus, they hope to create public policies that ‘eliminate significant barriers and disparities experienced by black women.’”
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