A child's body found near the Berkeley Marina, Sunday morning may be Jashon Williams, the missing 17-month-old. Police declined to publicly speculate on the body's identity, until a coroner's investigation is finished. Several members of Jashon's family rushed to the scene when they heard of the discovery and said they were sure it was him.
Representing the family to a group of news reporters, Karim Toney sister, of Zoelina Williams, said police had not confirmed much about the body, "but we all know it's Jashon." "We just wanted the baby back."
Jashon Williams, the missing 17-month-old toddler of an Oakland woman found dead at Aquatic Park had not been in the care of his mother for nearly two weeks, relatives said Saturday.
Malcolm Lewis, Zoelina Williams' uncle, said a sister of Martin's had been watching the toddler since the night of Oct. 31.
I asked her when the last time (was) she'd seen her baby, and I said, 'When are you getting him back?" Samantha Ratcliff, a lifelong friend, said they last spoke Nov. 8.
"From what I understand, (Williams) said, 'I'm going to call the police on you if you don't give me the baby,' and he said they were going to get the baby,'' said Odessa Tucker, the victim's cousin.
Williams apparently asked Martin for a ride to Vallejo early Friday -- possibly to get the child -- but something happened on the way, relatives and authorities said.
Oakland police Officer Jeff Thomason could not confirm the relative's story that Jashon has been gone since Oct. 31. But the police are saying; "It is believed that (the child) was with his mother during the time she was murdered," Oakland police said in a statement.
Curtis Martin, 38, of Oakland was arrested about 1 p.m. Friday as a suspect in Zoelina Williams' slaying. Police said Martin is not talking about the slaying or the missing child
Martin has a criminal record dating back to the early 1990s. In 1994, he was arrested in the beating death of 3-year-old Devin Brewer of Oakland, the son of his girlfriend at the time. He served six years in prison for the crime.
He had taken the baby for a haircut, when they returned, the child was bruised and swollen. Martin claimed the boy had fallen at the park. The child died at an Oakland hospital the next day.
He originally was charged with murder but was allowed to plead no contest to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for 11 years in prison, authorities said Friday. He was out of prison by 2000 because he was given credit for time served.
In 2008 he was arrested for violating a court order to prevent domestic violence. He was never prosecuted!!!
At the time of Devin's slaying, Martin was on parole for robbery and previously was convicted of armed robbery, burglary and weapons violations.
