Body in Wisconsin woman’s vehicle is her missing 5-year-old

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The body of a child found in March in his mother’s vehicle in northeastern Wisconsin is the woman’s 5-year-old son, who had been missing since late last year, an autopsy has confirmed.

Sagal Hussein, 26, has not been formally charged in her son’s death, but is being held on a $500,000 bond on possible child neglect charges. Hussein appeared Wednesday in Brown County Circuit Court, where a judge gave the state two weeks to file a criminal complaint, WLUK-TV reported.

The state public defender’s office in Green Bay declined to comment on the case or say which attorney has been assigned to Hussein.

The investigation into Josias Marquez’s whereabouts began Jan. 26, when a neighbour in Howard reported seeing Hussein’s other two children outside and unsupervised.

Hussein had said her third child, Josias, was with his father out of state, but officers were unable to confirm that. The boy had not been seen by anyone but Hussein since Nov. 25, officials said.

Due to the inaccuracies and her lack of co-operation, Hussein was arrested March 30, officials said. A search warrant was issued for her residence and her vehicle, and the child’s body was found the next day.

Hussein’s mother, Amal Ismal, said she was shocked. Ismal said Josias was born with medical conditions, and was blind and suffered severe seizures.

“What I know is my daughter, Sagal, is that she was a loving mother and she didn’t kill her own son and what I believe is it was not her intention to hurt or kill her own child,” Ismal said.

Hussein’s other two children are in foster care, Ismal said.

The Associated Press