Child’s body found in Merced during search for missing girl

MERCED, Calif. (AP) — A child’s body was found inside a home in central California during a search for a missing 8-year-old girl. Police in Merced said they discovered the body Friday while serving a search warrant at the home. They were acting on a tip from police in the Bay Area city of Hayward, which received a missing person report earlier this week from relatives of Sophia Mason. They said they had not had contact with the girl since December. Merced police said investigators are working to identify the body. They did not release the cause of death. A detective told the Merced Sun-Star the child’s mother was arrested by Hayward police on Thursday, and the girl was not with her.