Babysitter charged with killing child

MAN was arrested in the United States on Saturday on charges he kidnapped his girlfriend’s eight-year-old granddaughter, then raped and killed her.

Jessica Rae Delatorre’s body was found under some trees on a gravel road near Fulton, 70 miles west of Sioux Falls, authorities said.

Police said the suspect, Murray James Jones, aged 41, led them to the body.

Jones is expected to be arraigned today on charges of first-degree murder, rape and kidnapping.

Police Chief Doug Barthel said Jessica’s grandmother had asked Jones to watch Jessica and her two brothers, aged four and 11, when she was away on Friday night. Jessica lived with her mother in Sioux Falls, but was staying with her grandmother. “It’s not uncommon for the children to spend the night at their grandma’s, and this was just one of those nights,” Mr Barthel said.

Mr Barthel said while Jessica’s brothers were sleeping, Jones kidnapped the girl and drove her to Fulton where he raped and killed her. The grandmother called police on Saturday morning after she returned and found Jessica missing.