TYRUS TORIBIO - 3 yo - (2009) Albuquerque NM

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An autopsy
on the unidentified body of a small child found buried in the sand of
an Albuquerque playground was under way on Saturday as investigators
resumed their search for the boy's parents or guardian.
Police renewed their call for the public's help in finding out how the 3- to
5-year-old boy ended up buried in northeast Albuquerque's Alvarado
Park. A mother at the playground with her children spotted a shoe
sticking out of the sand and made the grim discovery on Friday
afternoon.
"No one has stepped forward as parent, guardian or caretaker or any other relationship with this
child," Albuquerque police spokesman John Walsh said on Saturday.
"Anybody who has seen or heard of any, anything, involving a child in
that area, we want them to call us."
Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz said during a news conference late Friday that
police have had no reports of missing children but believe he may be
from the neighborhood.
The autopsy at the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator began at 9 a.m. Saturday,
Walsh said, and will determine the cause and manner of the child's
death.
The boy was wearing a red shirt with the image of a four-wheel drive truck on the front, black nylon
pants with red stripes and black shoes. Police showed a photograph of
the boy's clothing during the news conference in hopes that someone
might recognize it.
A team of about 50 investigators canvassed the area around the park until
early Saturday and resumed the effort after daybreak, Walsh said.
Forensic experts who exhumed the body told police that the boy could not have been dead longer than 48 hours, Walsh said.
Schultz said the case was unique because his department has not had any reports
of missing children in the 24 hours before the body's discovery. He
asked that anyone who had been to the park in the last couple of days
to call police.
"This is one of those cases where I think every minute counts," Schultz said late Friday.
Neighbors said they were shaken by the discovery.
"I run in this park every day. I've lived here for 17 years, it's very
upsetting," neighbor Marlisa Gomez told Albuquerque television station
KOAT.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Albuquerque
police are trying to unravel the mystery of how the unidentified body
of a small boy wound up buried in an Albuquerque playground after a
preliminary autopsy provided no clues about how the child died.
"There were no obvious signs or cause of death," Albuquerque police spokesman
John Walsh said Saturday after receiving the results of a preliminary
autopsy from the state Office of the Medical Investigator.
Saddened neighbors made a makeshift memorial of stuffed teddy bears, toy trucks
and flowers at the base of the playground equipment at Alvarado Park in
northeast Albuquerque and planned to hold a candlelit memorial for the
boy in the park Saturday night.
About 50 police investigators who went door-to-door Saturday asking neighbors
for help in identifying the 3- to 5-year-old boy also came up
empty-handed, Walsh said.
"No one has stepped forward as parent, guardian or caretaker or any other
relationship with this child," Walsh said. "Anybody who has seen or
heard of any, anything, involving a child in that area, we want them to
call us."
The officers fanned out into neighborhoods farther from the park where the body was found Friday
afternoon. A mother there with her children spotted a shoe sticking out
of the sand and called police after making the grim discovery.
The 38-pound boy was wearing a red shirt with the image of a four-wheel
drive truck on the front, black nylon pants with red stripes and black
shoes. He had short straight black hair and was 3-feet, 2 inches in
height, according to Walsh.
Walsh said the preliminary autopsy determine the child was either "Native American or Hispanic."
"First we have to concentrate on the identification. Two, we're trying to
determine the cause of death and, three, we're trying to find who might
have been responsible for this child," Walsh said.
OMI will conduct blood and toxicology tests and more advanced pathology
techniques to find out more about what happened to the boy and try to
identify him. Walsh did not know when the results of those tests would
be available.Initially police thought the boy was from the
neighborhood near the park, but Walsh said they also have checked for
possible victims in other states.
Police found a woman who was seen at the park Thursday with her children, but she did not know anything about the boy.
Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz said Friday the case was unique because his
department has not had any reports of missing children in the 24 hours
before the body's discovery.
Forensic experts who exhumed the body told police that the boy could not have been dead longer than 48 hours, Walsh said.
Neighbors were tearful as they spoke of the tragedy.
"You just want to cry about something like that," neighbor John Bell told Albuquerque television station KOAT.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — While police try
to figure out the identity of a small boy who was buried in a
playground, the Albuquerque neighborhood where he was found dead is
adopting him as one of their own.
Stuffed animals, balloons and little trucks were placed where the boy was found
and a fundraiser was planned for Sunday morning to raise money for a
proper funeral, KRQE in Albuquerque reported.
Police are calling the boy "Baby John Doe," but those in the Alvarado
community are referring to him as Baby Justice or Baby 4x4, the station
reported.
The boy's body was found Friday afternoon after a mother at the playground spotted a shoe sticking out
of the sand and called police.
A preliminary autopsy provided no clues about how the child died.
"There were no obvious signs or cause of death," Albuquerque police spokesman
John Walsh said Saturday after receiving the results of a preliminary
autopsy from the state Office of the Medical Investigator.
About 50 police investigators who went door-to-door Saturday asking neighbors
for help in identifying the 3- to 5-year-old boy also came up
empty-handed, Walsh said."No one has stepped forward as parent,
guardian or caretaker or any other relationship with this child," Walsh
said. "Anybody who has seen or heard of any, anything, involving a
child in that area, we want them to call us."
The 38-pound boy was wearing a red shirt with the image of a four-wheel
drive truck on the front, black nylon pants with red stripes and black
shoes. He had short straight black hair and was 3-feet, 2 inches in
height, according to Walsh.
Walsh said the preliminary autopsy determine the child was either "Native American or Hispanic."
"First we have to concentrate on the identification. Two, we're trying to
determine the cause of death and, three, we're trying to find who might
have been responsible for this child," Walsh said.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
Albuquerque police are going door-to-door again Monday in the
neighborhood around a city park where the body of a young boy was found
buried in a playground as they search for the child's relatives or
caretakers.
"We're canvassing the entire area once again to see if there's the possibility
that anyone saw something who wasn't watching the news," Albuquerque
police spokesman John Walsh said Monday.
Despite intense media coverage of the case, no one has stepped forward to
identify the boy, who was 3 to 5 years old. A preliminary autopsy
Saturday also yielded no clues to how the boy died.
Though the boy's family hasn't come forward, the community has stepped in with spiritual and financial support for the child. Neighbors have left teddybears, toy trucks, flowers and candles at a makeshift memorial at the playground in Alvarado Park, where a mother playing with her children
saw a shoe sticking out of the sand and made the gruesome discovery.
Forensics experts have said the child's body had probably been there no more than 48 hours.
The discovery has stumped police so far because the department has not
received any recent reports of missing children. Checks on missing
persons reports in other states also have not provided an identity.The 38-pound boy was wearing
a red shirt with the image of a four-wheel drive truck on the front,
black nylon pants with red stripes and black shoes. He had short
straight black hair and was 3-feet-2 inches tall.
Walsh said the preliminary autopsy determined the child was either "Native American or Hispanic."
For two nights in a row, hundreds of neighbors and others have gathered at
the playground for candlelight vigils in honor of the boy and a held a
cookout fundraiser.
Two funeral homes have offered free plots and burial services. Neighbors told
KRQE-TV they have raised more than $4,000 to pay for a casket.
Medical investigators plan blood and toxicology tests and more advanced
pathology techniques to learn more about what happened to the boy.

Police were working feverishly Saturday to solve the mystery of a little boy found buried at a northeast Albuquerque playground.

The boy, who had still not been identified, was found Friday afternoon
under the sand at Alvarado Park. No Albuquerque children have recently
been reported missing, and investigators believe the body had been
buried for less than 48 hours, Albuquerque police spokesman John Walsh
said.

About 50 detectives have been assigned to the case, and
the Office of the Medical Investigator performed an autopsy on the boy
early Saturday. OMI is closed on the weekends, with few exceptions.

The boy's cause of death could not be determined by a preliminary
autopsy, which was completed about 4 p.m. Saturday. Walsh said more
advanced tests are needed, but the initial autopsy determined that the
boy was either Hispanic or American Indian and weighed 38 pounds.

Walsh said that one of the reasons police are trying to solve the case
quickly is to make sure that other children are safe.

"It's
very time-sensitive," he said. "We're very cognizant of the possibility
that other children could be in danger, and we've got to keep that on
our minds as well."

Walsh said detectives contacted police
departments around the country to see if any missing children match the
description of the boy.

He is believed to be between 3 and 5
years old. He was wearing black nylon running pants with a red stripe
down either side and a red shirt with a picture of a monster truck on
it. The clothes are Arizona brand, and the boy was wearing black
Skechers brand shoes with green striping. The clothes are size T3, and
the boy is about 3 feet 2 inches tall with short, straight, dark hair,
Walsh said.

Police were looking for any information the public
could provide, although they were no longer looking for a woman they
sought Friday. Walsh said that woman was found and did not have any
information.

The detectives working the case Saturday were
doing a number of things to narrow down a wide-open case, Walsh said.
Some continued to canvass around the park near San Mateo and Hannett
NE, trying to find anyone who might have seen anything. Detectives were
also working on the forensics gathered at the scene, following up on
every tip and working on coordinating with law enforcement around the
state and country.

Police had no significant leads Saturday.
Walsh said the fact that the child has not been reported missing "lends
credibility" to the theory that the child may have been buried by a
family member. He cautioned, though, that police can't focus too much
on any one theory.

Alvarado Park was reopened to the public
early Saturday, and all the sand at the park was removed and replaced
with new sand, Walsh said.

Neighbors gathered at the playground
around a makeshift memorial at a vigil Saturday night to pray and
mourn. Police Chief Ray Schultz stood nearby to answer questions, and
some residents wept for the child.

"I have a child as well who
plays in this park," said a tear-streaked Anna Mafchir, speaking before
the crowd of neighbors. "This is devastating and scary."

Mafchir went on to say that the vigil was an important step toward
reclaiming the park and making sure it remains a vibrant part of the
neighborhood.

"This is our space. It's not a violent space, and it's not a mean space," she said.

Posters were taped to the playground with poems and prayers for the
child, who is being called "Baby Justice," "Baby Boy Angel" and "Baby
4x4," after the monster truck on his shirt.

"If he didn't have a family before, he has one tonight," neighbor Rachel Lesperance said.

Tips sought Anyone with information about the case should call police
at 877-SOLV-APD or 242-COPS. Callers wishing to remain anonymous can
call Crime Stoppers at 843-STOP.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The mystery of a young boy who was buried in Alvarado Park continues.Albuquerque police said it spoke to daycares, schools and is looking at missing children reports from across the nation.Monday afternoon parents at a playground were only talking about one thing."I want to know where the parents are. Why haven't they came forward?" said grandmother Maria Gutierrez.People said they want to know who left a little boy buried in the sand. His lifeless body was discovered Friday afternoon.Police said they still don't know his name or how he ended up at Alvarado Park."It was an emotional morning," Gutierrez said.Gutierrez said watching news reports made her wonder."I was worried. I was worried because I thought it was my grandson," Gutierrez said.She's
estranged from the child's mother and hasn't seen her grandson in a
long time. She said she went to the medical examiners office with a
picture -- investigators told her it was not him.Still she said she came to the park to offer her prayers.So
many people continue to come out here and pay their respects for the
little boy they call baby Angel. The first question many ask though is
who could be responsible for this?Albuquerque police said it is a question they are working around the clock to answer."Everything
you can possibly dream up, even the sex registry file of the area and
any child abusers in the area and we've come up literally pan dry,"
said John Walsh with the APD.Police said they are working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.They
said they are checking nationwide to see if there is a match to the
little boy. Police and the public said they believe someone knows
something."They need to come forth," Walsh said.The little boy was buried about a foot under the sand.The conditions of the remains were so bad, it's made it impossible to do a sketch of the young child.Instead
experts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are
working on a forensic reconstruction sketch -- that takes a lot of
technology and time, but police hope to have it soon.

It looked like a discarded shoe in the sand.
But when an Albuquerque, N.M., mother pulled up on the pint-size sneaker, she made a gruesome discovery -- a little boy buried in the playground sand underneath the swings.
Four days later, police still have no leads on who that little boy is or who buried him in the sand at Alvarado Park.
It's a mystery that has gripped the entire city. Residents have been
calling police just to report that they drove by the park that day.
Others have donated money to pay for a proper funeral for the child
dubbed "Baby Justice" and "Baby Angel." More than $4,000 have been
collected so far.
Albuquerque Police Officer Nadine Hamby told ABCNews.com that, based a preliminary, partial autopsy, the child was either 3 or 4 years old, weighed 38 pounds, was 38 inches tall and was of either American Indian or Hispanic descent.
He had no visible scars and had quarter-inch length brown hair and
brown eyes. Other than the tiny black Skechers sneakers, the little boy
was wearing black jogging pants and a red T-shirt with a picture of a
monster truck.
There are no children matching his description reported missing in the area, Hamby said, leading police to believe that whoever buried him in the sand is either his caretaker or otherwise close to him.
"And that's why they believe no one has reported the child
missing yet," she said. "We have received numerous tips, which has been
absolutely wonderful."
Albuquerque
police, she said, are working with the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children to develop a composite sketch of what the boy may
have looked like.
Hamby said a local mother -- whose name has not yet been
released -- was at Alvarado Park with her two children. As one of her
children was playing on the swings, the back-and-forth motion disturbed
the sand underneath, revealing a tiny black Skecher sneaker with gray
and lime-green designs on it.
Hamby said the woman grabbed the sneaker to move it out of the
way, figuring another child had left it behind, "and sees that it's
connected to a leg -- at least an ankle."
Hamby said the mother dropped the foot and called police, who
unearthed the rest of the body. The medical examiner, she said,
determined the boy had been underneath the playground for no more than
48 hours.
Right now, Hamby said, police have no reason to believe the boy is not
from the Albuquerque area but are keeping all options open until they
hit on a lead that will help identify him.
Albuquerque grandmother Maria Gutierrez told ABC affiliate KOAT that she feared the boy may be her estranged daughter's son and even brought a picture of him to the medical examiner's office.
The boy was not her grandson, she said, but she came to Alvarado Park anyway to pray for him.
Hamby said police are checking every possible place the child could have come from, including day care centers and nurseries.
"We went to the homeless shelters just to rule out people who
were traveling through," she said, adding that all known sex offenders
have been accounted for.

Investigators are hoping someone recognizes the boy.

Moments
ago, investigators released an artists' rendering of boy who was found
dead last week underneath a swing set in Alvardo park. Police have yet
to identify the boy, who has been dubbed "Baby Angel" by investigators
and neighbors. Police have yet to determine how the boy died and they
are asking if anyone has information on his identity to call
1-877-SOLV-APD. The rendering was done by the National Center for
Missing and exploited Children based off of photographs provided by APD.

The
boy, who was found Friday by children playing, is believed to be
between 3 and 5 years old. He was wearing black nylon running pants
with a red stripe down either side and a red shirt with a picture of a
monster truck on it. The clothes are Arizona brand, and the boy was
wearing black Skechers brand shoes with green striping. The clothes are
size T3, and the boy is about 3 feet 2 inches tall with short,
straight, dark hair.

No one has reported a child missing matching the boy's description.

Found: May 15, 2009
Age Now: 3-5
Sex: Male
Race: Unknown
Hair: Black
Eyes: Unknown
Height: 3'2" (97 cm)
Weight: 38 lbs (17 kg)
Found:
ALBUQUERQUE
NM
United States
On May 15, 2009, the remains of an unidentified male child were found buried in sand at a city playground. The child is estimated to be between 3
and 5 years of age and is believed to have died within 3 days of his discovery. He may be of American Indian or Hispanic descent. He had dark
brown to black hair. The child was wearing a red t-shirt with a red monster truck decal; black pants with an elastic waistband and two red vertical
stripes down each pant leg; and black Sketcher sneakers with green and white horizontal stripes. The image at left is a composite created by a forensic artist at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to depict what the child
may have looked like in life. Items such as eye color and hair style are the artist’s estimations to complete the image and should not be used as
significant markers for identification.
ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) or contact NCMEC Cold Case Review Unit at 1-877-446-2632, ext.
6235 or 6342
Albuquerque Police Department - 1-877-SOLV-APD or 1-505-242-COPS (1-505-242-2677)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Police are
asking for help locating a Native American woman they believe may be
linked to an unidentified boy whose body was found last Friday buried
beneath an Albuquerque playground.Police Chief Ray Schultz says
investigators are looking for Tiffany Toribio, a transient who
sometimes stayed at a home several blocks from Alvarado Park, where the
boy's body was found.Schultz says Toribio, 23, is a member of
Zia Pueblo, northwest of Albuquerque. Toribio is 5-foot-1, 120 pounds
and has long straight black hair.Police received tips from
family members after a composite image of the boy was released Tuesday.
The boy has yet to be identified, but police said Toribio's family
members believe it may be her son.


Investigators say a mother and her son--who looks similar to the boy
found buried at an Albuquerque park--have been reported missing by
family.
Tiffany Toribio, 23, and her 3-year-old son have not been seen since last Wednesday.
Family members say Toribio was a transient and had been staying with
friends a few blocks away from Alvarado Park, where a young boy was
found buried in the sand last Friday. Family members tell police the
boy looks like the composite image APD released Tuesday--a child police
are calling Child Angel.
Toribio is Native American, 5'1 and 120 pounds. She has long black
hair and may be wearing glasses or contacts. She is a member of Zia
Pueblo.
If you know anything about the case, you're asked to call the tip line 1-977-SOLV-APD.

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Add a missing woman to
the case of the little boy found buried in a city park last week as
police track their best lead yet in naming the boy and finding out what
happened to him. At a late-night news conference Wednesday
Albuquerque police Chief Ray Schultz announced investigators are trying
to find Tiffany Toribio after receiving tips that she is the boy's
mother. That relationship, however, has yet to be confirmed. And for now investigators are calling Toribio a missing person. "We
have had an opportunity to see one picture of her son," Schultz told
reporters. "It's similar but not enough for us to make a positive
comparison. "We feel the best course of action for us at this pint in time is for us to talk to Tiffany directly." the
photo of her son, and it's similar to the child found in the park,"
Schultz told reporters. "Right now we just need to talk to Tiffany
Toribio." Toribio, 23, and her son, who is 3 years 7 months,
have not been seen since last week. Toribio is from Zia Pueblo in
Sandoval County although police said she is currently transient with no
permanent address. She is described as 5 feet 1 inch tall and weighing 120 pounds with long, straight black hair. Schultz
said Toribio has connections to people living near Alvarado Park where
the boy's body was unearthed Friday night. She was last seen in the
area Wednesday, and her son was last seen the day before, he said. Medical investigators said the boy found in the park was about 4 years old and either Hispanic or Native American. Police
have been in contact with Toribio's family, and they are concerned
about her disappearance. Earlier police had received tips suggesting
Toribio might be connected to the unidentified boy. The
investigation began Friday afternoon when someone visiting the park
spotted a small show protruding from a sandy playground area. It took
until about 9 p.m. for investigators to carefully remove the body while
preserving evidence. A composite image of the boy based on
photographs of the body and restoration work by artists at the National
Center for Missing and Exploited Children was released Tuesday. That
image was soon followed by photographs of the boy's clothing. Not
only investigators but park neighbors have been going door-to-door
distributing the photos and trying to find anyone who recognized the
boy. On Wednesday the neighborhood residents were visiting businesses
in the area south of Interstate 40 between San Pedro Drive and San
Mateo Boulevard posting fliers in the doors and windows of businesses. So
far, more than 60 people have phoned in tips on the case, and more have
joined in vigils at the park where a makeshift memorial has arisen
where the boy was buried. Police continue to ask that anyone
with potential clues to call either the APD tip line 1-877-SOLV-APD
(1-877-765-8273) or the APD non-emergency number 242-COPS (242-2677).

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A woman has been
arrested and charged with murder in the case of a boy whose body was
found buried at an Albuquerque playground on Friday. Tiffany Toribio, 23, was arrested around 3:45 a.m. Mountain time Thursday, according to Albuquerque police. She
faces an open count of murder and several charges of child abuse
resulting in death, according to court documents. She's being held on a
$250,000 bond. Her arrest came just hours after police held a late-night news conference
to say they were looking for her. She had disappeared last Wednesday
and her son last Tuesday. At the time, police had only called Toribio a
missing person. Police described her was a transient but was known to have connections to the neighborhood around the park. It
has not yet been determined whether the boy at the park was Toribio's
son, although police believe he may be. Her son matched the computer-generated composite image police released earlier this week. Toribio
said nothing to reporters as she was placed into a police car outside
the Albuquerque Police Department headquarters early Thursday morning. Police
have not yet declared the case solved. Anybody with information that
could help is asked to call 505-242-COPS (505-242-2677) or 877-SOLV-APD
(877-765-8273). Police have scheduled a news conference for 11
a.m. Mountain time, where they'll reveal more details on the arrest.
Stay with KRQE.com and tune to News 13 at Noon for updates.

Tiffany Toribio, 23, arrested on suspicion of murder, child abuse around 3:30 a.m.
Tiffany Toribio, who was staying with friends along with a little
boy in an apartment near Alvarado Park, has been taken into custody by
Albuquerque police, KOAT-TV is reporting.According to online
jail records at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Toribio was booked
at 4:46 this morning and was being held on suspicion of murder, child
abuse resulting in death, and negligent child abuse resulting in death
or great bodily harm and tampering with evidence.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Police said
Thursday that the mother of a 3-year-old boy found buried at a
playground told investigators she suffocated him, had second thoughts
and brought him back to life, then changed her mind and suffocated him
again.
Police Chief Ray Schultz said Tiffany Toribio, 23, told officers that she and
her son, Tyruss "Ty" Toribio, were in Alvarado Park before dawn on May
13 and that she suffocated him while he was asleep.
She told detectives she had second thoughts and performed CPR on the boy,
reviving him, but again reconsidered and placed her hand over his nose
and mouth until he suffocated, Schultz said. She said she waited a few
minutes before burying him in the playground, the chief said.
Ty's body was found Friday by a mother who saw his black tennis shoe
sticking out of the sand. Police released an artist's rendering of the
boy's image on Tuesday, which led to tips about Toribio from family
members and others, Schultz said.
Police picked up Toribio after she called them late Wednesday saying she had
left home and was walking to the police station to turn herself in, the
chief said. At first she denied being Tiffany Toribio, but officers
found her identification and she acknowledged who she was, he said.Neither the district attorney's office norpolice knew if Toribio had an attorney, but she would have to have
representation by her Friday arraignment.
Schultz called it "somber day" in Albuquerque.
"He was a very special child and that's what makes this case so hard for
everybody within the Albuquerque Police Department that's worked on it
for the last six days," he said.
At the playground — filled now with flowers, plaques and candles — about a
dozen people gathered, some part of the regular vigil held there since
last week and others who came down after hearing of the arrest on the
TV news.
"We named him 'Baby Angel'and it's important now that we know his real name," said Sarah
Sandoval, who lives nearby. "Now, his mother will find out this baby
has a lot of people who love him and will do anything for a child."

Police: Mom Of Buried Boy Says She Killed Him
Tiffany Toribio Arrested On Open Count Of Murder
HEATHER CLARK, Associated Press Writer
Posted: 11:23 am EDT May 21, 2009
Updated: 3:58 pm EDT May 21, 2009

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Police said Thursday that the mother of a 3-year-old boy found buried at a playground told investigators she suffocated him, had second thoughts and resuscitated him, then changed her mind and suffocated him again.

Police Chief Ray Schultz said Tiffany Toribio, 23, told officers that she and her son, Tyruss "Ty" Toribio, were in Alvarado Park before dawn on May 13 and that she suffocated him while he was asleep.

She told detectives she had second thoughts and performed CPR on the boy, reviving him, but again reconsidered and placed her hand over his nose and mouth until he suffocated, Schultz said. She said she waited a few minutes before burying him in the playground, the chief said.

Ty's body was found Friday by a mother who saw his black tennis shoe sticking out of the sand. Police released an artist's rendering of the boy's image on Tuesday, which led to tips about Toribio from family members and others, Schultz said.

Police picked up Toribio after she called them late Wednesday saying she had left home and was walking to the police station to turn herself in, the chief said. At first she denied being Tiffany Toribio, but officers found her identification and she acknowledged who she was, he said.

Neither the district attorney's office nor police knew if Toribio had an attorney, but she would have to have representation by her Friday arraignment.

Schultz called it "somber day" in Albuquerque.

"He was a very special child and that's what makes this case so hard for everybody within the Albuquerque Police Department that's worked on it for the last six days," he said.

Schultz described Toribio as a transient who was kicked out of her mother's home on May 7 because of the way she treated her son. A few days later she was kicked out of a friend's house for the same reason, he said.

Toribio had no history of substance or alcohol abuse and only a traffic citation on her record.

"What makes this story especially sad was when asked the reason why she took Ty's life, Tiffany said that she did not want him to grow up with no one caring about him the same way that she had grown up with no one caring about her," Schultz said.

Schultz said Toribio was being held at the Bernalillo County jail under close observation because she had attempted suicide. He did not provide details about the suicide attempt.

At the playground -- filled now with flowers, plaques and candles -- about a dozen people gathered, some part of the regular vigil held there since last week and others who came down after hearing of the arrest on the TV news.

"We named him 'Baby Angel' and it's important now that we know his real name," said Sarah Sandoval, who lives nearby. "Now, his mother will find out this baby has a lot of people who love him and will do anything for a child."

Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

Mom charged in son's murder faces life in prison
Friday, May 22, 2009 6:04:12 PM

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.(AP)

A single mother accused of suffocating her 3-year-old son and
burying him in a playground will face life in prison if convicted
of first-degree murder, prosecutors said Friday.Tiffany Toribio, 23, was charged with first-degree murder, child
abuse and other counts related to the death of her son, Tyruss
"Ty" Toribio, on May 13. His body was discovered two days
later.Lee Hood, a public defender representing Toribio, waived the
charges in a court appearance Friday.Bernalillo County District Attorney Kari Brandenburg said no
circumstances would qualify Toribio for the death penalty. She said
the state's current law allows the death penalty in limited
circumstances such as cases of murdering a police officer or murder
for hire.The state had repealed that law for crimes committed as of July
1, replacing the death penalty with a life sentence without
possibility of parole.The district attorney's office also was evaluating whether
other people could be charged for failing to report suspected child
abuse.Brandenburg said people have a duty to report suspected child
abuse, although she acknowledged it was "a real gray
area" and that no decision had been made.Albuquerque police had said Toribio was recently homeless
because she had been kicked out of her mother's house and a
friend's apartment for ignoring her son.Toribio remained jailed Friday on $250,000 bond.

"By HEATHER CLARK – May 26, 2009
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A 3-year-old boy found buried in playground sand was remembered Tuesday as a "silly, happy little guy," while a pastor told the hundreds of mourners not to be troubled by the circumstances of the boy's death, allegedly by his mother.
Those attending the memorial service for Tyruss "Ty" Toribio included Mayor Martin Chavez, Police Chief Ray Schultz and Zia Pueblo Gov. Ivan Pino.
...."

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