Police body cam footage revealed the harrowing moment an officer discovered the body of a missing two-year-old in Las Vegas.
Jacoby Robinson Jr. was found dead inside a dumpster on June 7 near Lewis Avenue and 14th Street after his mother, Diaja Smith, 23, called 911 and claimed he was abducted from a park.
Soon after, the toddler’s mother and father, Jacoby Robinson Sr., 24, were arrested and indicted by a grand jury on murder and child abuse charges.
Police now believe that Jacoby Jr. died before his mother placed his body in the dumpster, according to documents obtained by 8 News Now.
The startling clip showed the moment a city marshal peered into the nearly empty dumpster and found the deceased boy.
Jacoby Robinson Jr. was found dead inside a dumpster on June 7 near Lewis Avenue and 14th Street after his mother, Diaja Smith, 23, called 911 and claimed he was abducted from a park
‘F***, f****, f***, f***, f***, f*** – just look in there,’ the officer told his partner with distress in his voice.
The video starts with officers arriving at the dumpster as one of them shines a flashlight inside.
He then uncontrollably curses and takes deep breaths as his partner runs to the trash can and looks inside.
‘Call Metro,’ the officer tells his partner.
Further surveillance footage showed Diaja pushing a stroller just before she called 911 earlier that day.
The clip shows the mother pushing two kids in the stroller while she holds another in a carrier on her chest.
She quickly walks with three children in a parking lot before crossing the street as another camera captures her walking toward a dumpster that’s out of the frame. Police believe Jacoby was already dead in the stroller.
Though she isn’t seen, a loud bang is heard in the video, just before she walks back with just two children. Police believe Jacoby was already dead in the stroller before being dropped in the dumpster.
Photos of Jacoby Jr.’s body, obtained by 8 News Now, showed ‘significant signs of physical injury to [his] head, torso and buttocks,’ according to documents.
Soon after, Diaja (pictured) and the boy’s father, Jacoby Robinson Sr., 24, were arrested and indicted by a grand jury on murder and child abuse charges
Police believe that Diaja dumped her son’s body in the trash can just after 8pm that day, documents said. She has since confessed that he was dead before being placed in the trash can
Authorities now believe that the mother and father beat their son and his younger brother with power cords and belts, documents revealed.
Police believe that Diaja dumped her son’s body in the trash can just after 8 pm that day, documents said.
Read More
Mom who was 'hysterical' while searching for toddler son is charged with his murder
Hours before, around 12:44 pm, search history showed that someone had looked up on Jacoby Sr.’s phone ‘how to perform CPR,’ according to documents.
Further search history revealed that someone used the phone to make a call and looked up bus tickets from Las Vegas to Los Angeles.
In her 911 call, the mother said: ‘I can’t think right now. I just don’t understand. I don’t understand what happened.’
Diaja later confessed to police that her late son was dead in the stroller, but she denied hitting her children. She said Jacoby Jr. had suffered a seizure earlier that day, police said.
In a recent jailhouse interview, Jacoby Sr. denied claims that he physically hurt his children.
‘I don’t even whoop my children and I did not kill my son,’ he said.
When asked who took his son’s life, Jacoby Sr. said: ‘Allegedly, my girlfriend did.’
Diaja is seen pushing a stroller with three kids just before she reported Jacoby Jr. missing. On her way back, only two kids were with her
In a recent jailhouse interview, Jacoby Sr. denied claims that he physically hurt his children. ‘I don’t even whoop my children and I did not kill my son,’ he said
Letters, obtained by 8 News Now, revealed the shocking conversations Diaja and Jacoby Sr. had about their son’s death.
‘I feel so bad because I feel like I wasn’t doing the same for you, I was just on autopilot trying not to crash,” she said.
‘[Censored], why didn’t I listen when I said no more whoopings when you told me to stop whooping the kids. I really hope you can forgive me. Love deep down I really do. I cherished every moment with you. I wish I cooked us one last meal. I’m sorry I wasn’t thinking right.’
The couple share five children together. The two oldest children are no longer in their custody, according to family members.
Diaja regained custody of Jacoby Jr. and two younger siblings in April, records said.
The Clark County Department of Family Services made three previous contacts with the family, according to records.
The toddler’s cause of death has not yet been revealed. DailyMail.com contacted the Clark County Coroner’s Office.
As of Thursday, both Diaja and Jacoby Sr. remain in jail without bail. They’re expected to appear in court on August 8.