4 people arrested, more remains found in Long Island as police investigate severed body parts
Four people were arrested, and more remains were found as authorities continue to investigate the incident involving the discovery of human body parts in a park in Long Island, New York, authorities said Wednesday.
The Suffolk County Police, in a news release, said three individuals aged 38 to 44, were arrested from the same address in Amityville, in the Town of Babylon, along with one homeless person. They were charged with hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and concealing a human corpse. They were scheduled to be arraigned in court on March 6.
Police said a search was also conducted at the suspects' residence in Amityville on Monday but no human remains were located.
More human remains found
However, more human remains were found in a wooded area in West Babylon and at the Bethpage State Park on Tuesday, said the police adding that they are "believed to belong to the same victims from the February 29 discovery."
"The scene was processed by the Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad and the Office of the Suffolk County Medical Examiner," said the police, in the news release.
The Amityville residence is approximately 8 miles from Bethpage State Park and 7 miles from Southards Pond Park.
Police withhold identification
One of the victims, a 59-year-old woman, has been identified, while the 53-year-old male has been tentatively identified. Police said that they are withholding the woman's name as the next of kin are being notified.
"Their last known address was the same location in Yonkers, however, it’s unclear when they last resided there," said the police.
When were the human remains on Long Island discovered?
The initial remains of the two victims were first discovered on Thursday morning by a group of Long Island students, who spotted them while walking to school. The students were walking around Southards Pond Park in Babylon Village around 8:40 a.m. when one of them noticed an arm on the side of the road, police said. The student called her father, who came to the scene and called the police.
Once police arrived, they cordoned off the area and conducted an extensive search, involving dogs. Multiple body parts, including a severed head, right arm, left leg from the knee down, and a right upper leg were discovered during the search.
Death investigation begins:Student walking to school finds severed arm in New York
The police department said the incident appears to be an isolated one, based on investigation, with no threat to the public.
Anyone with information relating to the incident is asked to call the Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
Contributing: Saleen Martin, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, formerly Twitter, at @saman_shafiq7.