CARTHAGE, Mo. (AP) – Carthage police on Saturday named a man who said his 8-month-old son was abducted by masked intruders as the prime suspect in the baby’s death.
Eddie Salazar Sr., filed a police report saying two men wearing ski masks had ransacked his home, beaten him unconscious and taken his son, Eddie Salazar Jr. The report led to an Amber Alert late Thursday.
Jasper County Sheriff Archie Dunn said Missouri State Water Patrol officers spotted a lifeless baby wedged against a tree on the bank of the Spring River near Carthage Saturday.
Police Chief Greg Dagnan told the Carthage Press that an autopsy scheduled for Monday would confirm the child’s identity but that he was almost certain the child was Eddie Salazar Jr.
Dagnan announced earlier Saturday that 28-year-old Salazar had been charged with making a false police report and that he was being held on $100,000 bond in the Carthage City Jail.
Dagnan said Salazar Sr. gave police the name of a man he said was one of the people who broke into his home. The Carthage Press reported that police found that person early Saturday and were able to rule that person out as a suspect.
‘‘Since Mr. Salazar is charged and is being held on $100,000 bond, that will allow us to do a bit more investigating and do the autopsy before seeking more charges,’’ Dagnan said at a news conference Saturday evening. ‘‘I wont speculate at this time what charges we will seek or what will be filed.’’