The search for a missing 3-year-old came to an unfortunate end when the child's body was discovered at a dump site in San Jose, just hours after her father was found dead in San Francisco on Friday.
Fremont police had issued an urgent alert for help after a man was found dead and his three-year-old daughter, Ellie Lorenzo, was nowhere to be found.
Ellie's mother contacted authorities, requesting a welfare check on the little girl, who was in the custody of her father at the time.
"The mother of the child got news that the father was deceased in San Francisco, and the child was not with him at that time. The Fremont police department went to his apartment in Fremont, and the child was not located there," said Sgt. Kim McDonald.
Jared Lorenzo was reportedly living in a second-story unit at the Casa Arroyo Apartments in Fremont. Details have not been released on the manner in which he died, but police were immediately concerned and desperate to locate Ellie as quickly as possible.
"Yeah, this is not a normal sort of call," said Sgt. McDonald. "It's terrifying; it's frightening for certainly the family and for all of us in law enforcement. I mean, we're doing it; we're going to be here late trying to locate this missing child."
Fremont policelater issued a sad announcement on social media, revealing:
"It is with a heavy heart we report this morning, Saturday, July 13, 2024, we were contacted by the San Jose Police Department regarding the investigation into Ellie Lorenzo. Tragically, a juvenile female resembling Ellie was located deceased in their city."
The only information the police gave was that Ellie's body was found at one of the city's recycling facilities.
Following interviews with several of the father's neighbors, they expressed their fear that her father may have been involved.
Michael Vasquez was emotional in telling KPIX-TV, "Heartbroken, angry. No ... I ... there's really no good way to describe it other than just all these negative emotions."
The investigation is ongoing as authorities are looking into how the two deaths may be connected.
