In a sorrowful event, Prince McCree, a five-year-old boy from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who had been reported missing, was found dead a day after. The last time his mother saw him was around 9 a.m. on October 25.
Once he disappeared, the community and police departments started an exhaustive search. Their collective effort was in the hope of finding Prince unharmed.
The Milwaukee Police Department reported that Prince’s body was located close to Hawley Road, specifically on the 5500 block of W. Vliet Street, a distance of about a mile from where he lived. This grim discovery occurred at 9 a.m. on October 26. The boy had been choked,beaten with various objects, his head was stomped on and he was then put in garbage bags and into the dumpster.
A homicide investigation concerning Prince’s death has been started by the Milwaukee Police Department.
The exact circumstances of Prince McCree’s death remain unclear at this moment. However, two individuals have been arrested as potential suspects. They are David Pietura, a 27-year-old man, and Erik Mendoza, a 15-year-old boy.
It has come to light that both Pietura and Mendoza resided in the same home as the McCree family. But the nature of their relationship with the deceased child and his family remains a matter of inquiry. Pietura reportedly told police that Mendoza never liked Prince and had talked about killing him.
Speaking to the press, State Senator LaTonya Johnson, who resides in the same community as the McCrees, mentioned that the relationship between the two suspects and Prince’s family is yet to be defined.
Further information reveals that Mendoza is facing several charges, among them are first-degree intentional homicide, causing the death of a child due to physical abuse, hiding a body, and three instances of recklessly endangering safety with a lethal weapon. Given the severity of the charges and his age, Mendoza is set to be tried as an adult. Pietura is also facing charges related to the incident.
Upon hearing the news of Prince McCree’s death, Alderman Michael J. Murphy shared his deep sorrow and stressed that harming or neglecting children is absolutely unacceptable.
In memory of the young boy, the community gathered for a vigil during the past weekend.
The investigation into this case is still ongoing, and new information is anticipated to be released soon. Authorities are requesting anyone with relevant knowledge to step forward and assist.
