Mom Charged with Murder, Cruelty After Son Found Dead, Toddler Crawling in Highway Ditch

Authorities in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana have charged Aaliyah Jack, 25, with second degree murder for the death of her four-year-old son Legend, and cruelty to a juvenile for what happened to her one-year-old, Kingtrail. She is being held on a $9.1 million bond in Mississippi while fighting extradition to Louisiana.

Jack's mother Conswella Jack detailed her final moments with her daughter and grandchildren with the Acadiana Advocate. She explained that she'd been helping take care of the children, along with their paternal grandmother.

According to Conswella, she had met up with Aaliyah on Saturday to spend time with her and her children, but her daughter then fled with the kids. She tried repeatedly to call her, but never got a return call.

On Sunday, though, she did get one message from Aaliyah. "She sent me a picture of a car in some bushes that kind of looked like it was wrecked," Conswella told the outlet. "I was confused, so I called, called and called, and could not reach her."

Legend Jack's body was found in a lake behind the Vinton Welcome Center in Louisiana on Monday. There was no evidence of foul play and police are still awaiting autopsy results to determine his cause of death, which could affect the charges against Aaliyah.

On Tuesday morning, a truck diver noticed a small toddler crawling in a ditch along Interstate 10, moving toward the highway. Thanks to a tip from the family that the boy who'd drowned in the lake had a little brother who was also missing, they were able to identify the toddler as Kingtrail Jack.

Aaliyah N. Jack, 25, was later found at a train station in Mississippi and picked up by the Meridian Police Department there. Initially, she was charged with failure to report a missing child.

"We call him our miracle baby, because it's a miracle he's still alive," said Calcasieu Sheriff Gary "Stitch" Guillory of the Kingtrail's recovery, per KPLC's full video coverage (above). "We're so thankful for this trucker that saw this baby this morning and immediately pulled over on the side of the road and called 911."

Clearly getting emotional during the Tuesday morning press conference, Guillory continued, "This kid spent two days out in the weather on the side of the highway. Thank God that trucker saw him. When you look at the video, there he was, crawling toward the highway."

According to authorities, the Kingtrail was checked out at a nearby hospital. Aside from some bug bites, he was in good shape. He was released on Wednesday and is currently in state custody, according to KPLC.

"Our investigation still going on, we still have a lot of work to do but I can promise you that this sheriff's office is going to commit every resource we have in order to bring justice," said Guillory. Deputies in Louisiana and Mississippi are working together on the case.

"Our hearts go out to the family members of these two children," he added in a statement posted to the CPSO Facebook page.