Search expands beyond Garfield Park in case of child found in lagoon

Chicago police have expanded their search in the investigation into the death of a child whose body parts were found last weekend in the Garfield Park lagoon.

A child’s hands, feet and head were found in the lagoon last weekend, and searchers have continued to look there for the rest of the child, believed to be a boy, betweem 18 months and 4 years old.

Police officers using canines continued to search Friday at the lagoon, but also searched areas of Douglas Park, Humboldt Park, Columbus Park and an area near the Bishop Ford and the access point of the Cal-Sag Channel, a police source said.

“It’s exhausting but it seriously is like the the CPD has adopted this child and we are looking for one of our own,” the source said.

It was not yet clear what led police to those other areas.

This composite sketch by a forensic artist with the Cook County Sheriff’s Department shows a toddler whose dismembered remains were found in a lagoon in Garfield Park. | Chicago Police via the Associated Press

Chicago Police News Affairs confirmed police have expanded the boundaries of their search to include Humboldt Park and Columbus Park, but could not confirm any other areas targeted.

“Right now, those are the two areas that are being scrutinized in furtherance of this investigation. That’s not to say that there’s anything there, but just due diligence in furtherance of our investigation,” said News Affairs Officer Veejay Zala.

Police on Thursday had released a composite sketch of what the child could have looked like.

Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy, in releasing the sketch, vowed to solve the case and appealed again to the public for help in identifying the child.

Contributing: Maudlyne Ihejirika