BABYLON, N.Y. (WPIX) – A student found human remains near a park in Babylon Thursday morning, which led to the discovery of more remains nearby, according to the Suffolk County Police Department.
The girl was walking to school around 8:40 a.m. when she found a left arm near Siegel Boulevard, which runs alongside Southards Pond Park, according to police. The arm had a distinct tattoo and no fingertips.
A police cadaver dog searching the western side of the park found a leg sticking out of a pile of leaves on Graham Place between Beverly Road and Martin Place, authorities said. Investigators said the same dog also found a right arm on the eastern side of the park, about 20 feet from where the left arm was discovered.
The remains found on the eastern side of the park appear to be male, officials said. Police did not say whether they believed all of the limbs belonged to a single person or multiple victims.
Authorities suspended their search for more remains Thursday night but were expected to continue the investigation on Friday.
Two nearby schools — Babylon Memorial Grade School and Babylon Elementary School — had indoor recess as a precautionary measure due to the police investigation, according to a representative of Babylon School District. Student dismissal was also modified.
In a letter to parents, the superintendent called the incident “extremely unsettling” but noted that the investigation was unrelated to the schools.
“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. We applaud them for their diligence in reporting their disturbing discovery to our building administration and law enforcement. Our mental health resources are ready to assist our students at all grade levels, and we encourage any student feeling uneasy, anxious or scared in any way to please take advantage of them during this time,” the superintendent wrote, in part, in the letter.
