NEW YORK – The two newborn boys who were found dead Monday afternoon in the courtyard of a Bronx building appear to be less than 24 hours old, multiple law enforcement sources with knowledge of the investigation said Tuesday.
Detectives firmly believe the newborns were twins, but are awaiting confirmation from the medical examiner’s office. They are also waiting to know the cause of death of both babies, which the coroner said Tuesday afternoon was still pending.
One of the two babies was found by Osvaldo Volquez, a resident of a multi-story building at 1460 College Avenue in Concourse, in the Bronx, just before 2:00 p.m. Monday, law enforcement sources said. . One of the babies was wrapped in some kind of material; the other was exposed, a point contrary to initial police reports that both were found wrapped in paper.
Osvaldo Vólquez described the horrendous scene to Telemundo 47 as he arrived home from work early Monday afternoon and saw the body of a newborn lying in the courtyard of his building in the Bronx.
“In the alley here, there was the child, it was still seen with the placenta, in fetal form,” said Osvaldo, pointing to the scene. “With so many methods to avoid pregnancy, how can it be so cruel…”.
Sources close to the investigation noted that one of the babies had what appeared to be a blue thread tied around its neck, but investigators now believe it was an umbilical cord, law enforcement sources reported.
The resident who found the babies called 9-1-1 and left his name to investigators, law enforcement sources said. “Yes I saw one, I called 9-1-1,” Osvaldo said.
It was unclear who left them there or how they may have died. Police are looking for surveillance video in the area for possible clues.
Authorities asked the public for help in a brief press conference on Monday. “We are starting our investigation and asking the public for help. If you can and if you know something, you can call,” said NYPD Chief Timothy McCormack.
A woman who lives in the building said she did not remember seeing any pregnant women and wondered how the children were left there.
“I was surprised because there is no way to get in there. I don’t know how someone would get in there or how they would go about leaving the babies, that’s crazy,” Tytiana Lomax said.
Others in the neighborhood said there were other options than leaving the babies there, even if the person involved was overwhelmed. “You can take the baby to the police station, to church, anywhere. You don’t have to leave the baby like this,” Roy Brown said.
Authorities are still trying to determine how they died and if they were homicide victims.
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