Human Remains Found In Brentwood Wooded Area For Second Time In 5 Days
BRENTWOOD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Suffolk County police on Wednesday uncovered human remains in Brentwood, for the second time in less than a week.
As CBS2's Tracee Carrasco reported, the remains were found in a wooded area west of Emjay Boulevard and north of The Long Island Rail Road in Brentwood.
Employees at the warehouse at 86 Emjay Blvd., located in front of the wooded area, were alarmed by all the police activity and even more disturbed by the discoveries.
"It's terrible, terrible right now, you know," one employee said. "I feel sorry for the family."
Meanwhile, police identified another set of human remains that were found in the same area last Friday. They belonged to Oscar Acosta, 19, a high school senior who had been missing for nearly five months.
Acosta had last been seen near his home on April 29, police said. Detectives had suspected foul play in his disappearance.
"The evidence indicates that he is a victim of violence, and we're treating that as a homicide," said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Timothy Sini.
The second set of human remains that were found on Wednesday close to Acosta had not been identified late Wednesday. They were being examined by the Suffolk County Medical examiner's office.
The wooded area is an industrial part of town. Investigators spent the day in the area Wednesday, and there was one known violent gang member in custody, police said.
But police would not identify the person or, as 1010 WINS' Al Jones reported, say if the person was connected to the case.
Police have increased patrols and are talking to school districts, as well as holding community meetings for parents.
"We're going to do everything in our power to get to the bottom of the missing person investigation of Mr. Acosta, and we're going to do everything in our power to decimate gangs in the Brentwood community," Sini said. "We'll make sure that we're doing everything in our power to ensure the safety of the residents of Brentwood."
But residents are still fearful.
"Definitely, I've always been scared to be around the streets, around gangs and stuff," said Sergio Toro of Brentwood. "I don't even want to leave my house. That's how scared I am."
Police would not say if the remains found on Friday and Wednesday were connected to the deaths of two teenage best friends, Nisa Mickens, 15, and Kayla Cuevas, 16, whose severely beaten bodies were found in Brentwood last week. There have been no arrests in that case.
In the last week, community leaders have acknowledged the growing gang problem in Brentwood.
