After nearly 8 years of unanswered questions, a mother and her infant daughter’s disappearance has taken a major turn

Police in Virginia have arrested a man in connection with the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend and their newborn child nearly eight years ago.

Keir Johnson, 34, and her 8-month-old daughter Chloe Johnson disappeared from Hampton, Va., in April 2017.

On Feb. 14, week, authorities in nearby Newport News arrested Keir’s ex-boyfriend, 46-year-old Carlos A Johnson, Jr., in connection with the disappearance, police said in a statement. The victims’ bodies have not been found.

“[It] has always been our sincerest hope that Keir and Chloe would be found alive. However, as the investigation progressed, we had to confront the painful reality that this was not the case,” Steve Drew, Chief of the Newport News Police, said in the Monday, Feb. 17, statement.

Carlos was Chloe’s father, Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn confirmed, per WKTR. (The couple were not married, but coincidentally had the same last name).

The mom and daughter were last seen on April 30, 2017, when they were supposed to attend a friend’s gathering but did not show up, WKTR reported. Keir’s mother previously told the Daily Press that Keir and Chloe were headed to the beach.

They were reported missing the following day to Hampton police, according to the Daily Press, and Hampton authorities issued an Amber Alert. Keir’s vehicle was found in Newport News two weeks later, police said.

Now, Keir’s family says they are hopeful for answers.

“It feels like the ball is finally starting to roll, I guess, like, they’re finally starting to start to take care of her. It’s like a relief,” Keir’s twin sister Teir Pettway told WKTR about Carlos’ arrest.

Keir and Chloe are still listed as missing persons on the Virginia State Police’s roster. Newport News police have announced a $25,000 reward for any information leading to the recovery of their remains; Smithfield Foods has chipped in an additional $10,000.

Carlos has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, per Newport News police and the Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office.

Plea and attorney information were not immediately available; he was set to be arraigned on Tuesday, Feb. 18, per the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.