Police say that a California mother smothered her 11-year-old son and left his body in their trailer for days.
Meagan Dixon, 44, faces homicide and child endangerment charges after her son was found dead on Jan. 5 inside their trailer. At a press conference police said it appeared the boy had been dead for several days.
"During the investigation, there was evidence to suggest the child had been smothered," Sutter County Sheriff Brandon Barnes said during a press conference. Barnes added that he could not go into the details about what investigators found because the investigation was ongoing.
He said that the boy was homeschooled but routinely played outside in the trailer park. Neighbors noticed that they had not seen him for several days and confronted Dixon about his well-being. A verbal dispute ensued, prompting the landlord of the trailer park to call the police. Barnes said Dixon was described as being in "some sort of drug-induced or manic" state.
Once police and fire personnel arrived, the boy's body was discovered inside the trailer.
Barnes said the boy's cause of death is pending the result of an autopsy.
Barnes said police also discovered three dead dogs. One dog was dead inside the trailer, and two were found in Dixon's vehicle. The dogs have been preserved and officials plan to examine the animals to determine their cause of death.
Barnes said the boy had a stepfather, but he had been out of town for several weeks and was not considered a person of interest in the case. He said the man has been talking to the police. Barnes said police are not releasing the man's identity.
The boy's biological father had apparently not been in contact with the family for some time and Barnes said police had little information about him.
Dixon is being held on $1 million bond.
