Man arrested in Florida for the death of his ex-partner and her baby in NY 28 years ago

New York.- A 66-year-old man identified as Andrew Dykes was arrested this week near Tampa, Florida, accused of being involved in the death of his ex-partner Tanya Jackson and her daughter Tatiana Dykes, whose remains were found in Long Island, New York, between 1997 and 2011. The victims were not identified until this year, after decades of forensic investigation.

According to police sources cited by ABC News, the suspect's last name was fundamental for investigators to locate him. After his arrest, he appeared Thursday before a Florida judge on an arrest warrant issued in New York. He did not plead guilty and will have to appear in court again next week, while Nassau County manages his extradition.

An Unsolved Case for Almost Three Decades

Tanya Jackson, a U.S. Army veteran who served between 1993 and 1995, was found dismembered in Lakeview, in June 1997. For years she was known only as “Peaches”, a nickname associated with a distinctive tattoo. Fourteen years later, in 2011, the remains of her 2-year-old daughter appeared near Gilgo Beach, which initially led to speculation about a possible link to the alleged serial killings attributed to Rex Heuermann. That theory was discarded with Dykes' arrest. Detective Stephen Fitzpatrick, of the Nassau County Police Department, explained that it wasn't until 2015 that a DNA analysis allowed the biological link between both victims to be established. The case then went to the FBI, whose forensic experts finally managed to confirm their identities. In April 2025, the authorities announced that finding and offered a reward of 25,000 dollars for information.

Tanya Jackson's Life Before the Crime

Jackson, 26 years old at the time of her death, resided in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, where she possibly worked as a medical assistant, according to investigators. She was a single mother and it is presumed that a friend or neighbor took care of the baby while she worked.

The Context of Gilgo Beach and Other Homicides

For years, the girl's remains were linked to the long list of victims found on the south shore of Long Island. Architect Rex Heuermann has been charged with the murders of at least seven women — including Valerie Mack, Jessica Taylor, and Megan Waterman — whose bodies were discovered between 1993 and 2011 in Suffolk County.

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However, with Dykes' recent arrest, investigators believe that the case of Jackson and his daughter is not part of that series of murders.

Ongoing legal process

Dykes remains in custody in Florida while the process to transfer him to New York, where he will have to face the charges related to the deaths, moves forward. The authorities reiterated that all the accusations are formal charges and that the detainee is presumed innocent until a court determines otherwise.