Authorities have recovered the body of a 2-year-old who went missing last week.
Per ABC News, the body of Jordan Belliveau was found in a wooded area, five days after he was believed to be kidnapped by a stranger who offered him and his mother a ride as they walked home in the city of Largo on Saturday night, police said.
Authorities called off the AMBER Alert Tuesday afternoon.
Police say Charisse Stinson (left) admitted to causing the death of her son, 2-year-old Jordan Belliveau. (Images courtesy of Largo Police Department)
The AMBER Alert for Jordan Belliveau has been canceled. Sadly, the child has been found deceased,” the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) said in a tweet.
The child’s mother, Charisse Stinson, 21, was arrested on charges of first-degree murder in the death of her son, WFTS Tampa Bay reported. Authorities were initially mum about how the boy was killed or what evidence led them to arrest Stinson.
An arrest affidavit written by the Largo Police Department states the mother confessed to causing her toddler’s death. In the report, Stinson claims that “in a moment of frustration,” she struck her child in the face with the back of her hand, causing his head to hit the interior wall of her home.
“After the blow to the head, the victim suffered seizures during the night, which lead to further decline [in his health], resulting in his death,” the report continues.
Instead of seeking medical help, police say Stinson took the toddler to a wooded area and left him to die.
Florida authorities issued an AMBER Alert for Belliveau last week after Stinson told police she was attacked by a strange man named “Antwan” who’d offered her a ride in his white Toyota Camry. Once inside the car, Stinson said “Antwan” struck her in the face, knocking her unconscious.
The young woman said she awoke the next day in a wooded area with no sign of her son.
On Monday, police said they recovered several “bloody” items from the mother’s apartment but didn’t say whether they were connected to the toddler’s disappearance, according to ABC News.
When asked why she accepted the ride, Stinson admitted she didn’t know the man but said her son was becoming too heavy to carry all the way to their destination.
Watch more in the video below.