Posted on 06/25/2005 4:18:48 AM PDT by kcvl
June 25, 2005 -- CAMDEN, N.J. — The father of a missing 6-year-old boy dropped to his knees and let out a blood-curdling scream after opening the trunk of a parked car last night to discover the body of his son and two young friends who had been missing since Wednesday.
The bodies of Jesstin "Manny" Pagan, 5; Daniel "Danny" Agosto, 6; and Anibal Cruz, 11 — who were last seen playing in a yard in this hard-luck suburb of Philadelphia — were found by Danny's father, David Agosto, shortly before 7 p.m. in the maroon Toyota Camry.
"Anibal's father told me that there was a plastic bag over his son's head," Anibal's babysitter, Nancy Santana, told The Post last night.
The death car belongs to Anibal's grandmother and had been parked in the driveway of the family's house throughout the three-day search for the boys in neighboring woodlands and the nearby Delaware River.
Hearing Agosto's anguished screams, family and friends frantically ran from a nearby porch where they had held a vigil hoping for a miracle. The grim discovery echoed across the community.
"This is a moment that the families and the city hoped and prayed we wouldn't have to face," said Camden County Prosecutor Vincent Sarubbi.
Last night, law enforcement officials declined to elaborate on their investigation, but said they were searching for Angel Martinez, 28, of Camden, as a "person of interest" in the case.
snip
Sarubbi and Figueroa said the car had been searched on Thursday with a canine unit.
snip
"We looked in the car on Thursday," an anguished neighbor, who did not want to be identified, told The Post.
"I can't believe we didn't look in the trunk."
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
True, but if they are the ones who devised a way in, then they weren't entirely stupid.
Unless one was found with keys clutched in his hand.
The whole thing stinks.
Great screen name.
Maybe the bodies were not in the trunk yet. After the car is checked it bevomes a better place to stash bodies, after all, it's already been checked.
I wouldn't be surprised at the presence of some child neglect. I am not saying there was a lack of love for the kids. I don't know these people (obviously). But it is sooooo easy just to toss the kids outside, (or, in front of the boob tube or the Ninnie Tender or game boy, or whatever), just to get them out of your hair while you go about your "adult" business (getting high, fooling around, tinkering with your car, etc.) I doubt the mother(s) had any idea as to how long the kids were actually out of sight. As for the one father, I think his emotions were for real (if not, sign him up for an Oscar). If those emotions were for real, he has my sympathy. It must of been a horrible experience. And while I am at it, I'll add that I hope some good will come out of this, that some parent somewhere, will drop whatever they are occupied with, and check on their kids...
True, and they were packed so tightly together none was able to move enough to get in position to kick his way out.
"I can't believe we didn't look in the trunk."
Maybe they did look in the trunk and the bodies were put in there after the car was already searched.
UPDATE: My chief just learned that the kids were probably alive for about 24 hours in the trunk! Again, the Camden police have a lot of explaining to do!
Yes, I'm bumping my comment. I feel it's important that people realize how badly the Camden police messed up. They should be ashamed enough to never let anything like that heppen again.
I still think it's strange that the hound dogs picked up the kids scent to the river but not to the car???
Strange case for sure.
Dogs can be wrong. They are only as good as their training.
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