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Weld County landfill to be searched for 13-month-old

Posted at 1:05 PM, Oct 27, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-28 00:54:37-04

WELD COUNTY, Colo. -- Authorities are planning to search a Weld County landfill Friday for a 13-month-old boy's body, according to the Laramie County Sheriff's Office.

The boy's grandfather called authorities Wednesday night to report the child missing. Deputies told Denver7 reporter Liz Gelardi four days went by before a missing person's report was even filed. 

"Through several interviews, we learned the child was, in fact, deceased," Captain Linda Gesell with the Laramie County Sheriff's Office told Denver7. "A party in the home took the child and dumped it in a Dumpster at our community college."

Gesell said the trash from the Dumpster was taken to the landfill in Ault, Colorado. Three garbage trucks from Cheyenne have been to the landfill and authorities believe they have the site narrowed down to a specific "newer" area of the dump, where investigators will have to search through approximately 200,00 pounds of garbage. 

Deputies have also seized the dumpster and car they believed drove the baby to the dumpster, Gesell said. 

The mother of the baby told deputies a man by the name of Santiago was with the baby on a fishing trip, but those allegations turned out to be false, according to Gesell. Investigators said there is, in fact, a family friend by the name of Santiago but after interviewing him, officials believe he is not involved in any way with baby's death.  

Investigators are interviewing several people and working to get a search warrant of a home where the toddler lived. No one has been arrested, Gesell said, but added they have a person of interest in this homicide investigation. 

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