Okla. Dad Charged With Murdering Baby Allegedly Told Boy's Mom She 'Would Never See Her Son Again'

KC Baker
Updated

A missing 7-month-old boy who had been the subject of an AMBER Alert was found dead Wednesday — and his homeless father has been charged with murder, PEOPLE confirms.

Victor Manuel Minjarez, 31, was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder and unlawful disposal of human remains, the Oklahoma City Police Department said in a news release.

He was arrested at a residence in Oklahoma City, where authorities found the body of 7-month-old Jody Minarez, the release states.

The ordeal began on Feb. 19, when Minjarez allegedly attacked the baby’s mother at her home in Norman, Oklahoma, and fled the home with their child in a rented U-Haul pickup truck with an unknown license plate, said Norman police in a statement before the boy’s body was found.

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Soon after, Norman police said they believed Minjarez switched vehicles.

Since he is homeless, police said they did not know where he was staying.

On Feb. 23, the child’s mother requested an emergency Victim Protective Order for the safe return of her son, court records show.

Five days later, Minjarez allegedly sent a text message to a friend telling her to tell the mother she “would never see her son again,” Norman police said in the statement.

“Based on this information, it is believed that 7-month-old Jody Minjarez is in imminent danger of bodily harm or death,” said Norman police.

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Police didn’t issue the AMBER Alert until Wednesday, when they realized the child was in imminent danger, local station KSN.com reports.

Police canceled the AMBER Alert later on Wednesday after the discovery of Jody’s body.

Minjarez has not entered a plea to the charges against him, and his lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.

Minjarez remains in custody at the Oklahoma City jail.