A former resident of Beaufort County has been apprehended and faces charges in the disappearance case of Sophia Van Dam and her young son Matteo, who is just 2 years old. The duo was reported missing in 2023.
The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office relayed information via a social media update from the Sumter Police Department, indicating that Jonas Jerry Washington, age 26, was arrested earlier this week in Georgia. He is currently detained at the Sumter County Detention Center, charged with the murder of Van Dam and the abduction of her son, Matteo.
Washington will appear before a Circuit Court judge for a hearing on Tuesday, June 24 at the Sumter County Judicial Center.
Washington was living with Van Dam in Sumter before she and Matteo were reported missing by family members in Beaufort County.
The case remains under investigation, with collaborative efforts from the Sumter Police, Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the FBI.
Anyone with information on the case should call the Sumter Police Department at 803-436-2700.
