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THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) --- The body believed to be a 2-year-old Bronx boy who disappeared last month was found in the water near College Point in Queens on Wednesday, sources said.
Little Montrell Williams was last seen on May 10 at his grandmother's house in the Bronx, according to police and the family.
Queens Harbor Patrol found the body between Throggs Neck Bridge and LaGuardia Airport, and investigators are waiting for Bronx detectives to identify the body, sources said.
NYPD divers had been searching the Bronx River since Monday. The father, Arius Willaims, was caught on surveillance video throwing a bag, possibly with the child inside, into the river, sources said.
The boy's father told his mom over the weekend that he had thrown their son into the Bronx River. He also told his mother, Sabrina Williams, the boy was still alive.
“He good. He good. Don’t worry about it,” the dad told his mom over the weekend.
The 17-year-old mom had not seen her son since May 10. Two days later, she went to family court to report that her son was missing, but a warrant was not issued, sources said. She went back a second time pleading for help, but the outcome was unclear because the records are sealed.
The mom then followed Williams after he got on a Manhattan-bound train and pressed him about their child, sources said. Williams, who was previously arrested for beating up the teen, then allegedly pulled a knife on her during the encounter, sources said.
Williams was arrested and brought back to the Bronx for questioning, but has not been charged, according to sources. He was then held at Rikers Island for custodial interference.
The child’s grandmother told PIX11 News she had warned police about Montrell’s disappearance, but was told it was legal because he was the father.
“My son kidnapped my grandchild out my house,” she said she told police in an interview with PIX11 News on Tuesday.
Her son left with Montrell after a fight at a Mother’s Day gathering at the grandmother’s home. She begged him to bring the baby back before going to the cops on May 11.
Sources said detectives believe the boy was not alive when the grandmother went to police to file a missing person’s report because the dad turned up at a family member’s home on May 11 without Montrell.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Wednesday the department is investigating how the family’s missing report was handled.
“The NYPD takes any case of a missing person very seriously,” Tisch said on Good Day New York.
This is a developing story. Please refresh the page for updates.
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