Mom, teenage son found bludgeoned to death in Bronx apartment
BELMONT, Bronx (WABC) -- A mother and her teenage son were found bludgeoned to death inside their Bronx apartment, and police are working to determine if a man found dead under a train is the person for whom they were searching.
The bodies of 14-year-old Alanche Delorbe and 51-year-old Marisol Ortiz were found just before 4 p.m. Sunday on East 185th Street in the Belmont section.
Authorities say Ortiz was found lying on the floor with severe head trauma and one stab wound to the head, while Delorbe was found in a bedroom with head trauma.
Police say Ortiz also had ripped-up dollar bills on her body.
A large bloody barbell was found near both of their bodies that police believe was the deadly weapon.
Investigators had said they were searching for the mother's boyfriend, 52-year-old Hector Cruz, as a person of interest in the case. They believe a man who may have jumped in front of a train in Westchester County is Cruz, but official confirmation is pending.
Police say Ortiz did not show up to work on Sunday, so a coworker called a family member who then made the horrifying discovery.
A knife was also found in the apartment, and investigators are trying to determine if it was used in the murders.
"I'm very scared, trying to stay calm," a family member said. "He was my cousin. So we're just trying to figure out what's going on."
The Medical Examiner has yet to determine the causes of death.
A makeshift memorial was set up at the scene by friends of the baseball-loving Delorbe, who would have turned 15 on Monday. They brought flowers and candles and balloons to honor their classmate.
"A good student, he was a good student," teacher Bianell de la Cruz said. "He's a good kid who wanted to be a good kid, and he's no longer around us."
Friends remembered a fun-loving teenager with an infectious smile who loved to dance.
"He never really opened up about his personal life," said friend and schoolmate Diannibel Cedano. "He never let us know that perhaps he was suffering a great deal."
Police say Ortiz's 22-year-old daughter discovered the bodies inside the family's third floor apartment.
"It breaks my soul," said 75-year-old neighbor Maria Rosa, who often chatted with the teen outside their building.
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