MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN: Two persons of interest, including a teenager, have been charged with the murder of a five-year-old boy whose body was found in a Milwaukee dumpster last week, WISN reports.
On October 25, Prince McCree, five, was reported missing by his mother at around 6 pm, according to a criminal complaint.
The victim's body was reportedly found at about 9 am the following day in a dumpster behind a bar, about a mile away from his home.
Prince's tragic death was investigated as a case of homicide.
What charges do David E Pietura and Erik Mendoza face?
As per a press release by the Milwaukee Police Department on October 30, David E Pietura, 27, and Erik Mendoza, 15, were charged with first-degree intentional homicide, physical abuse of a child causing death and hiding a corpse in connection with the boy’s death.
Mendoza was additionally charged with three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety in connection with a series of alleged stabbings on October 23.
David E Pietura and Erik Mendoza admitted to committing the crime
According to the criminal complaint, both Pietura and Mendoza admitted to beating the boy to death and disposing of his body.
The suspects reportedly lived in separate areas of the same home as Prince's and Mendoza’s family.
Prince's mother kept him at home from school on the day of the incident after he complained of having cough and a sore throat.
The complaint states that the boy’s mother last saw him at around 9 am when she believed he went down to the basement to play video games.
David E Pietura and Erik Mendoza were questioned by police
Pietura and Mendoza were grilled by the authorities after they uncovered evidence inside the home.
While Pietura initially denied any involvement, he allegedly eventually admitted to investigators that he walked in on the 15-year-old choking Prince in the basement and did not intervene, according to the complaint.
The complaint alleges the pair then bound and gagged the boy, put his body into garbage bags, and repeatedly beat Prince by taking turns striking him with a golf club and at one point even using a barbell and concrete pedestal.
David E Pietura allegedly admitted it was his idea to bound and gag Prince McCree
According to the criminal complaint, Pietura allegedly admitted it was his idea to bound and gag Prince before putting his body in garbage bags.
Pietura also allegedly said during an interview with police that Mendoza has “talked for some time about wanting to kill someone,” adding that the 15-year-old never liked the little boy and discussed wanting to kill him.
Authorities allege that the two walked to a nearby dumpster after beating the boy and disposed of his body in such a way that it was hidden by other garbage bags in the dumpster.
“Defendant Pietura’s original plan was to walk towards the trail that leads to the sewage line and place PRM’s body in the sewage line but PRM’s body was 'too heavy,'” the complaint states.
When they got back to the home, Mendoza allegedly used a rag to clean the blood off the basement floor.
Investigators reportedly recovered surveillance footage of Pietura and Mendoza carrying a large white garbage bag and approaching the dumpster where authorities later recovered Prince's body. The pair were then seen leaving the area without the garbage bag.
What did Prince McCree's autopsy report reveal?
A preliminary autopsy performed at the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the boy died of multiple blunt force injuries and ruled his death a homicide.
LaTonya Johnson, a state senator and neighbor of the kindergartener’s family, told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel last week that Prince's parents were devastated after learning of their son's death.
“This neighborhood is relatively quiet,” she said, adding “You don’t see a lot of police activity. We knew it was something serious.”
Erik Mendoza also allegedly admitted to stabbing three strangers in the city
According to the complaint, Mendoza also allegedly admitted to police that he stabbed three strangers in the city on October 23.
Authorities said they recovered the butterfly knife he allegedly used in each stabbing while investigating Prince's death.
“Defendant Mendoza admitted feeling a rush from stabbing each victim but feeling bad after committing the stabbings,” the complaint states.
“When asked what he would say to the stabbing victims, Defendant Mendoza responded, “I’m sorry, but you are alive,”” the complaint adds.
