Detectives arrested a Northwest Arkansas couple Wednesday in Rancho Cordova, Calif., in connection with child endangerment, which may have led to the death of a 3-year-old girl, according to police.
A police officer noticed Angela Phakhin, 27, and Untwan Smith, 46, near a white Toyota Rav-4 parked the wrong way on Rod Beaudry Drive about 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to a news release.
Officers searched the car and found the dead child under blankets in the back seat.
There were no obvious signs of trauma and the Sacramento County Coroner’s office is doing an autopsy to determine the child’s cause of death, Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sgt. Tony Turnbull said.
Phakhin and Smith were also arrested in connection with conspiracy. They were being held Thursday in the Sacramento County Main Jail on $1 million bail. They are scheduled to be arraigned today in Sacramento Superior Court.
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office will not file charges until the arraignments, spokesperson Shelly Orio said.
Detectives believe Phakhin and Smith arrived in California in February and have been living with the child in the car throughout the city and county.
The last known address for Smith is 5439 W. Clevenger Drive in Fayetteville, according to an arrest warrant. The most recent address for Phakhin is 1397 Austin St. in Springdale, according to a court document.
Smith had an arrest warrant out of Prairie Grove District Court for several misdemeanors in 2016. He was convicted of terroristic threatening and possession of a firearm by a felon in Washington County Circuit Court in 2003.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. Ashton Eley can be reached by email at aeley@nwadg. com or Twitter @NWAAshton.