Magee police announce arrests in infant death, stolen-vehicle probes
MAGEE, Miss. — The Magee Police Department said it arrested two people in connection with alleged child abuse and an ongoing infant death investigation and arrested a third person in a separate stolen-vehicle case.
The department identified Desserae Vaughn and Joseph Lexia as the subjects of the incident tied to the infant probe and said they face charges of child abuse, child neglect, deprivation of substantial necessities, possession of controlled substances, possession of paraphernalia and three counts of animal cruelty.
The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office is conducting a homicide investigation into the death of an infant who was in Vaughn and Lexia’s care, the department said. That investigation remains ongoing, and the Magee Police Department said no further details will be released at this time.
In a separate incident, the department said Jason Jochumson was arrested on charges of felony fleeing, possession of a stolen vehicle, resisting arrest and driving without a license.
The Magee department thanked the Simpson County Sheriff’s Department, Mendenhall Police Department, Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, Rankin County Emergency Operations Center, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Capitol Police and its Crime Intelligence Division, Florence Police Department and the Florence police K-9 unit for assistance. Police cautioned that charges may be upgraded, reduced or remain the same as the cases move through the court process, and that all suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
