Missing 2 Year Old Found Unharmed in Rhode Island; Two Arrested for Double Homicide
Isaiah Perez, 2, was found unharmed early Sunday morning after an Amber Alert went out more than 12 hours earlier. Police arrested Malcolm Crowell, 22, and Daniel Rodriguez, 28, were taken into custody on suspicion of homicide and kidnapping.
Police began searching for Perez after discovering the bodies of two women in a home in Johnston, Rhode Island. They have not identified the victims but believe that Crowell and Rodriguez took the child with them. Crowell was found in Fall River, while Rodriguez was found in Providence, where Perez was found wandering the streets.
"We are starting to talk to family members right now to determine what the relationship with the boy is," Johnston Deputy Police Chief Daniel Parrillo told the Associated Press. "What he was doing there, we have no idea."
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Perez was found wandering the streets near the Chad Brown Projects. He appeared unharmed and was taken to Hasbro Children's Hospital for evaluation. Police were seriously concerned about the child's welfare given his young age and the double homicide.
"That's been our main goal right now, the safety of that child," Parrillo told NBC 10 News. "That's our main impetus in this whole investigation."
Earlier in the day, Crowell had been described by police as "armed and dangerous." They now say that he is cooperating with authorities, but police have not released any further details as to the crime, Crowell's connection to the victims (or their identities), or why he would take the young boy.
Rodriguez was arrested four hours after Crowell was taken into custody. Both remain in custody but have not been formally charged with homicide or kidnapping. Officials are working to connect the dots and hopefully reunite Perez with his family.
Police told reporters that five people were home at the time of the double homicide: two adults and three children, including Isaiah. The two adults were murdered, and the other two children were unharmed and released to family members. It's unknown why Crowell and Rodriguez chose to take Perez with them, though.
