Woman allegedly smothered son to death at California RV park. He may have been dead for days

A Northern California woman suspected of killing her 11-year-old son Sunday may have used a pillow to smother him during what neighbors described to officials as a drug-induced or manic episode.

The boy was found dead inside his mother’s trailer at Lovey’s Landing RV Park north of Meridian after the trailer park’s manager reported an argument between Meagan Ann Dixon, the boy’s 44-year-old mother, and another neighbor at about 10 a.m. Sunday, said Sutter County Sheriff Brandon Barnes at a news conference Monday.

Investigators believe the boy had been dead for several days before being found, Barnes said.

Dixon is currently held in the Sutter County Jail on charges of homicide and child endangerment, with bail set at $1 million. Her first court appearance is scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday.

An autopsy on the boy will be performed by officials in Placer County, the Sutter sheriff said. More charges may come pending the investigation, Barnes said.

“There was a pillow within close proximity to the child,” Barnes said. “I can’t go into a lot more detail as to why we think that particular item was used but we do have evidence to suggest that a pillow was used.”

Three dead dogs — one in the trailer and two inside the woman’s car — were also found at the scene, but details of the dog’s deaths were also pending autopsies, Undersheriff Scott Smallwood said.

Fire personnel were the first to respond and found the child, who appeared to have been dead for several days, inside the trailer.

Dixon has lived in Lovey’s Landing for about three years with the boy and his stepfather, whom investigators believe was out of town for several weeks visiting family. Barnes said detectives do not believe the man was involved in the boy’s death.

“The suspect in this case, Meagan Dixon, has no real criminal history outside of a theft charge from about 20 years ago,” Barnes said.

Barnes said that the 11-year-old boy was believed to have been the only child who lived in the trailer and nothing suggested Child Protective Services had been involved.

The boy, who was homeschooled, may have been a high-functioning autistic child who would typically play with other kids in the trailer park, Barnes said. Neighbors apparently raised questions after not seeing the child for several days and at least one neighbor was arguing with Dixon about the matter Sunday morning, leading the trailer park manager to report the incident.

“One of the issues was they hadn’t seen him in several days, which they thought was unusual, and that prompted them to try to make contact with the mother, which is what ultimately led to the call yesterday,” Barnes said.

Barnes said that Dixon, according to interviews with neighbors, was having a drug-induced or manic episode before her arrest. She’s since been interviewed and cooperated with detectives, who have not found evidence to suggest she has a history of mental health issues, Barnes said.

“She hasn’t really provided a lot in terms of an emotional response but our detectives are continuing to work with her to get whatever information they can,” Barnes said.

Lovey’s Landing is a small community alongside the Sacramento River in Sutter County about four miles southwest of Colusa and 17 miles west of Yuba City. Its proximity to the river leads to flood issues and calls to responders during the rainy season, but is otherwise quiet, Barnes said.

“Typically it will make the news about once a year when we do evacuation notices but outside of that it’s really a quiet community,” Barnes said. “We don’t have any problems out there.”

The Sheriff’s Office and Sutter County District Attorney’s Office continue to investigate the homicide.

“We’re certainly saddened,” Barnes said. “An incident like this doesn’t happen frequently, nor should it happen at all, quite frankly. It’s just tragic that it did.”

“It’s heartwrenching, it really is,” Barnes said. “And if you’re not equipped to deal with (that) both emotionally and physically, sometimes it can have a negative impact on you. We go to great lengths at the sheriff’s department to make sure that we’re taking care of our staff.”

This story was originally published January 6, 2025 at 12:49 PM.