NEED TO KNOW

Two young girls were found deceased with their bodies stuffed into suitcases in Cleveland
Authorities with the Cleveland Division of Police arrested and charged 28-year-old Aliyah Henderson within 48 hours of the discovery
Now, the father of one of the girls is speaking out for the first time

A Cleveland father is speaking out after his daughter was one of two young girls found dead and stuffed into suitcases in a field.

“I just feel useless. I couldn’t save my daughter,” the grieving parent, who spoke to Ohio told Nexstar’s WJW on the condition of anonymity in a Thursday, March 5 interview, said. He was identified as DeShaun Chatman in a separate interview with Cleveland’s WOIO.

The bodies of 8-year-old Mila Chatman and 10-year-old Amor Wilson were discovered on Monday, March 2 when someone walking their dog stumbled upon one of the suitcases.

The individual contacted authorities, who arrived and found the second suitcase nearby.

A spokesperson for the Cleveland Division of Police confirmed to PEOPLE on Thursday that 28-year-old Aliyah Henderson had been charged with two counts of aggravated murder in connection with the girls’ deaths.

Citing the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, ABC News reported that Mila and Amor were half-siblings.

Mila’s father told WJW he had not seen Mila in four years and felt “iced out,” despite what he says were repeated attempts to gain custody. He also said that Amor’s father attempted to be in the 10-year-old’s life.

“When it was something so simple. Just give me her. You’re feeling stressed, give me her,” Mila’s father told WJW. “I’ve been trying to get her for six years. You’ve been ducking me. You told me I was too family-oriented. That’s why you ain’t giving my daughter. Been tried, tried, tried. Then talked to CPS numerous occasions.”

He claimed that CPS would not remove the girls from their mother’s custody because they had a home and a bed. PEOPLE has reached out to CPS for comment.

“I don’t know how long she’s been gone, how long she’s been dead. I don’t know how long she’s been missing, but it could have been prevented,” he said.

Aliyah Henderson.Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department

“These were two young lives with their entire futures ahead of them,” Cleveland Division of Police Chief Dorothy Todd said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.

“Our detectives worked tirelessly and with great care to identify those responsible. Investigations of this nature require patience, precision, and discretion,” Todd continued. “Unlike what is often portrayed on television, every detail cannot be shared publicly. Certain information must remain confidential to protect the integrity of the investigation and ensure justice for these victims. That careful and methodical work allowed our detectives to develop the evidence needed to make quick identification of a person of interest, ultimately resulting in an arrest.”

Henderson was located at a residence and arrested within 48 hours of Mila and Amor’s bodies being found, police said.

A third child who appeared to be in good health was also found inside the home and placed in the care of the Department of Children and Family Services, according to police.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office will work to determine a cause of death for Mila and Amor. The investigation remains ongoing.