Trigger Warning: This article contains references to the alleged s– and physical abuse that some readers may find distressing.
A California county agreed to pay $12 million to the grandmother of an eight-year-old who was found dead in a bathtub despite several alarming reports from the family. The mother of the young girl abandoned her at birth and left her with her grandmother until 2021.
She came back to take her from a loving grandmother only to subject her to physical and s– abuse. The girl was forced to live in a shed by her mother and her boyfriend.
Police found Sophia Mason’s decomposing body in a bathtub on March 11, 2022, in Merced, 50 miles from Fresno, California. Her tragic death could have been avoided, as the Alameda County Department of Children and Family Services had already received eight referrals about potential abuse between 2014 and 2021, according to ABC7. Seven of these were in 2021 alone; however, the authorities failed to act on the reports.
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There were incidents where Dhante Jackson, her mom Samantha Johnson, choked the child and beat her with a belt. Even with visible signs of physical abuse such as cigarette burn marks and alleged s– abuse, there was no concrete investigation against Johnson and Jackson. The Alameda County noted in a statement, “Since her passing, we learned, and as a community reckoned with, the fact that the systems in place designed to keep her safe were unsuccessful.”
Six months before her death, Sophia was taken to the hospital, where doctors noticed bruises and cigarette burns. They were concerned about the physical abuse, but her mom took her before they could investigate further. The report noted, “The assigned investigator did not adequately document or recognize Sophia’s injuries or review medical records containing critical evidence and photographs.”
In addition, DCFS was noted to be responsible for not conducting a proper medical examination. There was a lack of supervision in a critical case like Sophia’s when there was clear evidence. Authorities arrested her mother and charged her with murder; however, she pleaded guilty to manslaughter and two counts of child abuse.
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She was sentenced to 15 years and eight months in prison. Dhante Jackson was arrested six months later for murder and child abuse. The charges were dropped by Merced County prosecutors in 2025; he instead pleaded guilty to accessory to murder for failing to report the crime and was sentenced to three years in prison. He was released immediately due to time served since his arrest in September 2022.
Sophia’s family was devastated after hearing about her death, as confirmed by the Merced County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office. Her cousin said, “Shocked and angry. It just seems unreal. Thinking about how this could have been avoided, and just knowing that it’s terrible, and it’s a tragedy.”
Two weeks before her death, Sophia spoke to her grandmother Sylvia Johnson. Verlatti’s sister Melissa Harris revealed, “[Sylvia] says she was not like herself at all. She seemed very drowsy, as if she were drugged. She couldn’t finish her sentences, and that caused Sylvia to have a lot of concern.” Over time, the family noticed several red flags and notified the CPS and police about it; however, they did not take the appropriate actions.
Verlatti further noted, “It was countless calls, letters, emails… My cousin, who is also Samantha’s sister, had sent me documents saying we feel like Sophia’s in an unsafe environment. Her mom’s taken her, we know she’s pro–g, and she has her, and she’s in a hotel somewhere, but they would ultimately say ‘well she’s with her mom.'” The family wanted the two accused to stay in prison for life after taking away the innocent child’s life.
Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record.
