Abducted girl found dead in woods after man arrested

A man has been arrested after police allege he murdered a 35-year-old mother and her 4-year-old daughter.

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana announced on social media that officers arrested Daniel Callihan, 36, on Thursday, June 15, for allegedly “committing brutal and heinous acts of violence” in the murders of Callie Brunett, 35, and her daughter Erin. , 4.

“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this tragic event. These are unspeakable crimes,” Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff Daniel Edwards said in a statement. “We ask everyone to keep Callie's family in your prayers.”

Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade said at a news conference that an Amber Alert was issued June 13 for two young children. Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office Chief Jimmy Travis said, according to CNN, that the alert was issued after Brunett was found dead in her Loranger home and her two children were missing.

Wade said Jackson police officers, along with U.S. Marshals, eventually located Callihan in Jackson, Mississippi – located two hours from Tangipahoa – in a wooded area behind a home, and “after a short chase,” had been taken into custody.

Wade noted that Jackson police searched the area where he was found and “located a deceased child in the woods” – identified as 4-year-old Erin. He described the crime scene as “very traumatic” and “very tragic”.

“…You don’t want to see that. As a father, seeing this baby on the ground who lost his life,” Wade said during the press conference, according to local Fox affiliate WVUE-TV. “This is an innocent 4-year-old child who He is no longer with us because of the actions of a coward.

Wade shared that police are still trying to determine the 4-year-old's “manner of death.” As for the other child – a 6-year-old girl – he said she was also located and “taken to the hospital for treatment” following her injuries.

He also noted that there had been signs of “human trafficking” in the wooded area where the girls were found, according to CNN. “We're going to work this crime scene with a scalpel. It’s going to take a long time to process it,” Wade explained, according to the outlet.

Travis said investigators believe Callihan and Brunett dated “on and off.” Prior to his arrest, Callihan was wanted for questioning “for an incident of domestic violence, which occurred around the time of the kidnapping and resulted in a homicide,” according to CNN.

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Police said they did not yet have a motive for the alleged kidnappings and killings. Travis noted, according to the outlet, that their next step would be to interview Callihan and the 6-year-old who was found alive.

The Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office and the Jackson Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

The Jackson Police Department also asked during the news conference that anyone with information related to the case come forward and contact their department at (601) 960-1234.