California mother arrested for murdering 8-month-old boy, hiding body

BLOOMINGTON, CA -- A woman in Bloomington, California was arrested Saturday for allegedly murdering her 8-month old child and hiding his remains for more than a year.

Maria Torres, 31, was arrested at her home on Williams Avenue, where she was living with her three children, including a 7-month-old baby boy. She was booked for murder at the West Valley Detention Center, where she was held without bail.

The young boy's remains was found Thursday at an ExtraSpace storage facility on Linden Avenue. After further investigation, San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies believe that Torres had been hiding the child's remains from friends and family for more than a year.

Detectives were also investigating Torres for fraudulently collecting money from church and community members for the boy's burial.

Friends and neighbors told Eyewitness News that Torres took the boy named Joel to a hospital, where she claimed he died from high potassium. They say she asked for help raising $1,200 to bury the baby, but no funeral was held.

Anyone with information is asked to call Specialized Investigations Division, Homicide Detail Det. Scott Thies or Sgt. Trevis Newport at (909) 387-3589.