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By Crystal Stevenson/American Press

The 1-year-old sibling of a boy whose body was recovered Monday in waters behind the Vinton Welcome Center was discovered by the driver of an 18-wheeler Tuesday morning on Interstate 10 eastbound nearly eight miles from the center.  Stitch Guillory — just nine days into his tenure as Calcasieu Parish sheriff — is calling the child “our miracle baby.”  “He was still alive and it’s unbelievable,” Guillory said while choking back tears. “This kid spent two days out in the weather on the side of the highway. Thank God that trucker seen him.”

Guillory says video from the trucker’s dashcam shows the boy crawling toward the highway before being rescued.  “We are so thankful for this trucker,” he said.  The body of the boy’s 4-year-old brother was recovered by the CPSO Marine Division late Monday afternoon. Guillory said in the process of identifying the boy, family members called his office to report 25-year-old Aaliyah N. Jack — who had two children with her — missing.

Guillory said detectives issued a BOLO (Be on the Lookout) to other law enforcement agencies, and later issued a warrant for Jack’s arrest, signed by Judge Tony Fazzio in the amount of $300,000, charging her with failure to report a missing child. Guillory said he was hopeful Jack would be found with the 1-year-old.  Jack was located at a train station in Mississippi without the toddler by the Meridian Police Department and taken into custody.  Guillory said as his Marine Division prepared with heavy hearts to head back out to the Vinton Welcome Center in search of the 1-year-old’s body, the call was received from the trucker.

Guillory said he’s also thankful to the Meridian Police Department who “bent over backwards” to help his office. 

“It was through their efforts we were able to arrest Aaliyah Jack,” he said. “We still have a lot of work to do but I can promise you this sheriff’s office is going to commit every resource we have to bring justice.” 

The 1-year-old, who is in good condition but covered in insect bites, is in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services, Guillory said. 

Calcasieu Parish District Attorney Stephen Dwight said it’s these types of cases that “tug on your heart.” 

“We had the storm (remnants of Hurricane Beryl) come through and that baby had to crawl, not knowing where he was for two days,” Dwight said. “It truly is a miracle. When that call came in, we all took a deep breathe and a sigh of relief because that is not what we were expecting at all.”  Dwight said once the autopsy is completed on the 4-year-old and more “questions are answered” his office could bring more charges.

This story is courtesy of the American Press.