Crews on Friday morning again resumed searching a landfill in Victorville for the remains of Duke Flores, a missing 6-year-old boy who is believed to have been killed by his mother and aunt.
Homicide detectives, along with 21 sheriff’s personnel and volunteers and two search dogs, are combing through approximately 1200 tons of material on Friday as the landfill search entered a fifth consecutive day, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
There has been no indication that anything has been found amid the dayslong effort.
Duke’s mother, 29-year-old Jackee Racquel Contreras, and her twin sister, Jennifer Rachel Contreras, have each been charged with murder in the case. Both pleaded not guilty when they were arraigned Tuesday.
Apple Valley police officers discovered the boy was missing when they went to conduct a welfare check on the boy at the request of relatives last Thursday, authorities said.
Jackee allegedly told officers her son had last been seen over a week earlier. The woman was initially taken into custody because she did not report Duke missing, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
The sisters were arrested two days later on suspicion of murder after further investigation led authorities to identify them as homicide suspects.
Authorities have not disclosed what evidence they uncovered that tied the mother and aunt to Duke’s disappearance and presumed death, saying only they think his remains were tossed into a dumpster.
The Contreras sister are being held without bail.
