Who Is 'Baby Justice'?

May 20, 2009

Police in Albuquerque, N.M., are trying to identify the body of a young child who was found buried in a shallow grave at a local playground last week.

According to Albuquerque Police Officer Nadine Hamby, a woman visiting Alvarado Park on the afternoon of May 15 spotted a small sneaker protruding from beneath the sand underneath a swing set. When she reached down to pick up the shoe, the woman was horrified to discover that it was still attached to a foot.

When forensic experts exhumed the body from the makeshift grave, they discovered it was that of a 3-to-5 year old boy. A preliminary autopsy revealed he was of either Native American or Hispanic descent, 38 pounds, 38 inches tall, with brown eyes and dark quarter-inch hair. He was wearing black nylon running pants with red stripes, a red shirt with a monster truck on it, and black, gray and lime green Skechers sneakers.

The coroner believes the child had been dead for approximately 48 hours before the body was found. The child's body showed no obvious signs of trauma, and blood and toxicology tests could take several weeks to complete. As a result, the cause of death remains unknown.

Unfortunately, investigators have been unable to release of a photo of the child's face due to damage to it was caused by exposure to the heated sand. Instead, they had to release a composite sketch of the boy, who local residents have dubbed "Baby Justice," "Baby 4x4," and "Baby Angel."

"At this point, it's frustrating for an investigator because the critical part of the investigation is the identity of this poor child," Hamby said in an interview with koat.com.

In an effort to identify the child, police have gone door-to-door in the neighborhood around the park and checked with homeless shelters and daycare centers. They have also compared his characteristics to nationwide missing child reports, but, to date, they have been unable to identify the boy or determine where he came from.

Meanwhile, local residents have made a makeshift memorial at the park by placing signs, toys, flowers and stuffed animals next to the play structure where the boy's body was found. In addition, local resident Rachel Lesperance took it upon herself to raise money to pay for burial expenses. She managed to collect nearly $4,000 before French's Mortuary in Albuquerque donated the mortuary and cemetery services.

"[We] wanted to offer all of the funeral expenses, cemetery and funeral completely from our family to the Albuquerque community," Tom Antram of French Mortuary said in an interview with kob.com.

As a result of the business' generosity, Rachel is now going to use the moneys that were collected to purchase a tombstone and a memorial plaque, which she plans to have erected at Alvarado Park.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Albuquerque Police Department at 505-242-COPS.

Photo Credits: Albuquerque Police Department

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Comments

[KellyB]

Just found update on this horrible crime. Here is link: http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2009/05/tiffany-toribio.html

[Summer]

Cops: Woman Confesses to Suffocating Boy Found Buried in New Mexico Playground

http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2009/05/tiffany-toribio.html

[barbie]

Thank you for writing about this young child David. He has been identified this morning as 3 yr old Tyrese Toribio, suffocated by his 23 year old mother, Tiffany. She has confessed to killing him and said she did so because "she didn't want him to grow up with noone caring about him like she grew up."

So many other options available to her and she chose this? I'm so angry and so sad. These cases of murdered children never seem to stop. This one has haunted me like Baby Grace and Beloved Doe did. Thankfully, Ty will get justice as Riley is getting and Jose got.

RIP sweet Ty, RIP.

[Kim]

His name was TY and his mom killed him RIP little Man.

[Kim]

I feel sick that this woman was thrown out of several homes and that not one of these people thought of what that would do to this child. Not one thought of keeping the child and asking her to leave. This woman had no where to go and nothing. The image of her walking while Ty trailled behind is eerie as it shows a mother, depressed and lost.

[lori]

RIP TY how sad that she felt she had no other choices.but she obviously thought twice so she should get what she deserves!