The Shasta County Sheriff’s Office reports that the parents of a young girl have been arrested for her murder. SCSO says its deputies responded to the 20000 block of Sunset Lane in Redding for a welfare check of a two-year-old girl on January 7.

Deputies were unable to contact anyone and eventually got in touch with the parents via phone. SCSO says the parents said they were not at home, but they were later found inside attempting to elude law enforcement.

Authorities say they were unable to locate the young girl. Deputies spoke to 28-year-old Riley Royal and 24-year-old Amanda Royal. SCSO says deputies learned that the child passed away three months prior and had been unlawfully buried.

Major Crimes Unit detectives responded to investigate. Authorities say another child was located and placed into protective custody of Children’s Services. Detectives say interviews with Riley and Amanda indicated that the child had passed away in October 2023.

Detectives say the child had been physically abused and buried west of Redding near the Whiskeytown Recreation area. Authorities exhumed the body on January 8. The autopsy later determined that the manner of death was a homicide.

The parents, Riley Royal and Amanda Royal, have been charged with Murder with Special Allegations and Child Abuse Resulting in Death. They will be arraigned on Thursday.