Child's body pulled from East River amid search for missing Bronx toddler, sources say
The body of a child was pulled from the East River Wednesday amid the search for a toddler who has been missing for more than a month, police sources said.
The identification of the body is pending, but sources tell CBS News New York it is believed to be 2-year-old Montrell Williams.
The body was recovered shortly after noon off the shore of Ferry Point Park. The body was then brought to the NYPD Harbor Unit in College Point, Queens, where the medical examiner, who will determine the cause of death, could be seen arriving. The next step is an autopsy to help get answers.
Police had been searching the Bronx River for Williams for the past three days.
Williams has been missing since May 10, when he was last seen with his father in Hunts Point.
Latest on investigation into Montrell Williams' disappearance
One reason the police continue to check the river is because Commissioner Jessica Tisch said there is video of someone throwing a bag off a nearby bridge.
Police sources say the boy's mother went to family court on May 30, claiming she couldn't get ahold of her son's father. She again contacted authorities after allegedly having a confrontation with the father on Monday, which left her fearing for her son's safety.
Police say the boy's 20-year-old father is in custody, charged with custodial inference, and is a person of interest in the disappearance of the child. No additional charges have been made.
"Missing" fliers were put up at the Hunts Point apartment building where the little boy was last seen.
A vigil was held on a bridge over the Bronx River on Wednesday night as Montrell's family waited for the body to be officially identified.
Montrell's step-grandfather, Leroy Burton, said the family is devastated.
"It's hurtful, it's real hurtful. And I know I'm going to be coming here every day," he said.
"We haven't been able to get any rest. My sister haven't been able to get no rest," Montrell's aunt Alicia Williams said. "It's really breaking my heart. I mean, it's tore this whole family up."
The family is trying to cope with their heartache.
"I just pray right now that he be with peace with God right now," Williams said.
NYPD reviewing the handling of the case
Tisch said part of the investigation is an internal review on how this case has been handled.
"We are looking into the initial reports to the police department and of the missing child and how those were handled, but I want to be very clear: The NYPD takes any case of a missing person very seriously," Tisch said.
Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Kaz Daughtry said that includes looking into an apparent lapse in putting the child's photo out to the public.
"I don't have a timeline of events, but if that is the case, that'll be, that will come up in the investigation," Daughtry said.
CBS News New York asked Mayor Eric Adams about the case. He said the city is not leaving any stone unturned and is still unraveling exactly what happened.
