Woman arrested after bodies of 2 girls found in suitcases in Cleveland field: Police
A 28-year-old woman was arrested days after the bodies of two girls were found in suitcases in a field in Cleveland, police announced Thursday.
The Cleveland Division of Police did not specify the charges against the suspect, noting that she is expected to be formally charged later Thursday, at which time her name will be released.
Detectives began investigating the deaths on Monday following what Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd described as a “horrific” discovery. One of the bodies was found by a person walking a dog in a residential neighborhood, who reported it to police. Responding officers then located a second body in another suitcase nearby. Both suitcases were buried in a shallow grave in a field near a school.
One of the girls is believed to have been between 8½ and 13 years old, and the other between 10½ and 14. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed on Wednesday that the girls were half-siblings.
The investigation led detectives to execute a search warrant at a residence within a block of the field on Wednesday, where they recovered substantial evidence related to the case. A person of interest was detained the same day, which Cleveland Police Sgt. Wilfredo Diaz described as a “significant break” in the investigation.
Chief Todd said Thursday that “careful and methodical work” enabled detectives to develop the evidence needed to quickly identify a person of interest, ultimately resulting in the arrest.
A child found in the searched home has been taken into custody by the Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services and appeared to be in good health, police said.
