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Severed heads, other body parts found in Long Island park, ‘brutal’ MS-13 gang suspected
One of the heads, as well as a right arm and leg, are believed to have belonged to a woman
Police found two severed heads in a Long Island park hours after other body parts were discovered nearby. One of the heads, as well as a right arm and leg, are believed to have belonged to a woman. The other head and two arms belonged to a male victim, law-enforcement sources said, according to New York Post.
A girl on her way to school found a severed arm on the road, prompting the search. Preliminary investigations suggest the body parts belong to an adult male and an adult female, Beyrer said. Beyrer added that the body parts may have been lying there for several days.
"One of the students who discovered it, called her father who determined it was an arm on the side of the road, and he called 911," Beyrer told Fox 5 NY after the initial discovery. Police said the left arm had missing fingertips too.
"[It] doesn’t appear to be there a long time," Beyrer said. "Students do come down this block, we will check to see if it was seen [Wednesday] but it appears to be recent."
Is the MS-13 gang involved?
The Daily Express reported that investigators are now trying to determine whether the MS-13 gang was involved. The gang has reportedly been active in the area. The outlet said that according to police, the investigation is being treated as a homicide.
The man’s left arm had tattoos but no fingertips, which “could mean the victim has a record and [that the perpetrators] don’t want him identified [through prints] because [that] could lead investigators to his killer,’’ a source said, according to New Yoek Post.
“These were brutal, vicious murders. MS 13 has been known to hack up bodies with machetes,” the source continued.
They added, “The bodies were also found near where the gang has committed other crimes. The medical examiner will determine how and what they were cut up with.”
According to Fox 5, nearby elementary and grade school recesses had to be moved indoors after the discovery. Mental health resources for students were being provided, the school district said.
"This is an extremely unsettling incident to occur in any community let alone so close to our schools," a school district spokesperson said in a statement. "The safety and mental health of our students is our number one priority, and we know this incident may be causing some extreme anxiety among our students, particularly the high school students who were directly affected by this situation on their way to school this morning."
