"I still don't believe it": Family remembers man whose body was found burning in a field near Vacaville
SOLANO COUNTY - Two people were arrested earlier this week after the body of a man was found burning near Vacaville. Family members came together Saturday to remember the victim, Theodore Washington, known by his loved ones as Teddy.
"His life was not supposed to end like this," said Washington's mother Polly Washington. "I still don't believe it, and the circumstances surrounding his death is so horrible.
Police said Washington was lured to a spot in West Sacramento and murdered, but they did not make this discovery until days later when they found the body.
"We are going to have to have a closed casket," said Polly. "I just keep thinking if we could see the body I would believe. I still don't believe it."
Washington left behind a five-year-old son named Max. Washington's older brother, Jason, said he is now determined to be that father figure.
"Max, he is going to have to grow up without that," said Jason. "I am going to have to fill in there and lead max in the right direction."
Police arrested Wendy Warren and Emmanuel Justin, now both facing murder charges. Washington's family told CBS13 that Warren was the mother of Washington's child.
"We had suspicions and we were uncomfortable with the baby's mama, and it just wasn't supposed to end like this," Polly said.
The family said Washington had just gotten temporary full custody of Max.
"I have never seen Max without Ted, and I have never seen ted without Max," said Washington. "They were like twins."
Polly is fighting for custody of Max who is currently in Yolo County Child Protective Services. They hope to gain custody in time for his sixth birthday on April 10.
"I have faith and hope that we will get him back soon," said Polly.
Washington was a math tutor known for his smarts and was called the "human calculator" by his loved ones.
"He taught my nephew how to count," said one of Washington's childhood friends, Marcus Smith. "It was somebody from his own environment that taught him something from his own environment and that was special to him."
Washington had been tutoring kids from the east to west coast, sometimes on Zoom.
"His death has made me see how much support he had from the community that he grew up in," said Polly.
Even surrounded by loved ones, healing will still take time for the family.
"This is not something that you just move on from, get better at," said Washington's friend Alex Sanders. "Just accepting that this is our reality."
West Sacramento police used Flock Safety Cameras with license plate readers to identify a vehicle involved in the murder. The department is working alongside the Solano County Sherriff's Office, which oversees the area where the body was found.
The two suspects now in custody are due in Solano County court at 1:30 p.m. on April 10.
