Cops: Toddler found with cord around neck dies; arrest made
LAKEWOOD, Colo. -- Police have made an arrest in the death of a two-year-old Colorado boy who was reported missing Monday and later found in a container with a cord wrapped around his neck, reports CBS Denver.
Officers responded around noon Monday to the report of the missing toddler at an apartment in Lakewood, southwest of Denver.
"The caller indicated that the child had been missing for about 10 minutes," Steve Davis of Lakewood Police told the station. "Within a few minutes the injured 2-year-old male was located inside in another area of the apartment."
The child was found in a container with a lid on it and a cord wrapped around his neck. He was reportedly transported to a hospital, where he later died.
Police at first said they weren't sure whether the incident was a crime or an accident, but they now say they believe the boy was a victim of foul play. Overnight Monday, they reportedly arrested 21-year-old Ramon Paul Morales on suspicion of first-degree murder.
Police describe Morales as an acquaintance of the toddler's mother, and was staying at her apartment with them.
Police were expected to obtain a search warrant for the home and the unit below it on Tuesday.