The man who allegedly murdered a baby in Jilin province was arrested on Thursday and charged with homicide and theft, authorities said.

The Changchun People's Procuratorate charged Zhou Xijun at 6 pm on Thursday, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Zhou, 48, from Changchun, the capital of Jilin, said he stole a car in the city and then drove it toward Tongliao city. After he found a two-month baby in the back seat, he strangled the infant and buried him in the snow in Huaide town, Gongzhuling city.

Many Chinese Internet users participated in a campaign to search for the missing baby after the case was made public.

On Tuesday, Zhou turned himself in to police, the report said.

The Jilin Public Security Department denied online rumors saying that Zhou's motive was revenge against the baby's family, saying that the murder was a spontaneous act, according to a report in China Radio International.