Father of Baki Dewees, missing Palmdale baby, charged with murder and child abuse, LA DA says

PALMDALE, Calif. (KABC) — The father of a missing Palmdale-area baby boy has been charged with murder and child abuse, authorities said.

Yusuf Dewees, 24, was charged after an extensive search for the remains of the suspect's son, Baki Dewees, last month, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.

The baby, born April 14, was last seen with his father, who has since been taken into custody and remains imprisoned in Utah. He will be extradited to Los Angeles County, although the exact timeline is unknown.

“We have a significant amount of evidence confirming that baby Baki was murdered and that he was murdered by his father,” Gascón told Eyewitness News on Wednesday.

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The child's grandmother reported the baby missing on May 3, and last month investigators scoured the Antelope Valley landfill as the case transitioned from a search for a missing person to what authorities called it a suspicious death investigation.

Sheriff's detectives have not revealed why the dump became the focus of the investigation, but authorities have described Yusuf Dewees as a suspect in the case.

This search was eventually suspended and, according to Gascón, Baki has still not been found. The boy's mother was already in jail on unrelated charges in the baby's disappearance and is therefore not considered a suspect in the case.

“The baby was apparently born in Utah,” the prosecutor said. “We know the mother is currently in custody in Utah. She was arrested for filing charges of abuse against some of her other siblings. We know the father returned to Los Angeles County with all of the children.”

“We believe the baby was murdered so [the mother] was in police custody. It is still not clear whether there is any other guilt regarding the baby in another way or certain other brothers and sisters,” added the prosecutor.

Yusuf Dewees remains in custody in Utah on an unrelated matter. He is also charged with obstructing justice.

This is a developing story. This article will continue to be updated as more information becomes available.