Kentucky deputies investigating missing child find body in storage unit; couple arrested
Kentucky deputies who were investigating a report of a missing child found a body in a storage unit and have arrested a man and his girlfriend, authorities said.
Jose Gomez-Alvarez, 32, and Cheyanne Porter, 27, were arrested by Kentucky State Police in Berea on Monday after warrants were issued for the two on charges of tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse, Daviess County Sheriff Barry Smith said in a press release.
#BREAKING: The sheriff's office says two people have been arrested after a report of a missing child led to the discovery of human remains inside a storage unit in Owensboro. https://t.co/5jXOU9i8og
— 44News (@my44news) October 4, 2022
The arrests came after deputies found a body in a tote bag that was inside a storage unit at Extra Space Storage in Owensboro that belonged to Porter, Smith said.
Deputies began investigating on Sept. 30 after an acquaintance reported that a 9-year-old girl hadn't been seen in a while, and that Porter and Gomez-Alvarez gave differing stories about her location, according to police records.
The arrest warrant says Gomez-Alvarez is Porter's boyfriend and the father of the child, news outlets reported.
Smith said the couple had been transient, "living in different states" and "staying in local hotels for much of 2022."
The body was sent to the Medical Examiner's office to be identified.
The sheriff's office says that the death investigation remains ongoing at this time, with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies.
In a statement, Extra Space Storage told WEVV-TV that they are working to assist in the investigation and that the facility will remain closed for the time being.
"This is a tragedy for the community, and our heart is with those mourning," Extra Space Storage said in a statement.