JADA JUSTICE - 3 yo (2009)/ Convicted: Engelica Castillo - Gary IN

As a family from Hobart, Ind., awaits news of their missing 2-year-old
daughter, the FBI is joining in the search to find her and bring her
home.

Meanwhile, police have suspicions about the version of events stated by
a cousin who was babysitting Jada Justice, 2, when the girl
disappeared.

Jada was staying with a cousin when she disappeared in Gary, Ind., just after 9:30 p.m. Monday night.

The baby sitter, Angelica Castillo, 18, of 3925 Missouri St. in Hobart,
Ind., is in custody facing charges of neglect of a dependent. She is a
cousin to the missing girl's mother, Melissa Swiontek, of Portage.

Castillo says she left the child in her car seat with the doors
unlocked last night at the Glen Park Gas Station, at 1401 E. Ridge Rd.
in Gary, while she ran in to buy some milk and cigarettes. She says
when she came out, the car was still there, but the baby was gone.

But other customers told police they saw no one around Castillo's 1991
maroon Cadillac Fleetwood while it was parked in the lot.

And police dogs brought into the search found no scent in the immediate area.

Nonetheless, Gary police devoted the next six hours looking for the
girl in a wooded area south of the gas station. Gary police Cmdr. Jon
Cooros and Sgt. Greg Martin flew the city's helicopter through the top
of trees as Gary Fire Department lights illuminated the scene, Cmdr.
Anthony Titus said.

"We are leery of the baby sitter's accounting of the facts, but right now that's all we have to work with," Titus said.

Gary police contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children, but learned the case involving Jada did not meet the criteria
for an AMBER Alert because investigators do not have detailed
information on a suspect.

About 3:30 a.m., police called off the search and focused on Castillo.
Hobart police obtained a search warrant for her home, where they found
bloody crib sheets.

Hobart investigators determined the blood came from a dog in heat, and
shifted the investigation back to Gary. Police did find evidence of
drug use at the house and members of the FBI-led Gang Response
Investigative Team were at the home for a time Wednesday afternoon.

Hobart police Chief Rod Gonzalez couldn't say how the blood was tested
to convince detectives it wasn't human. "I don't know anything about
that," he said. "I'm fairly certain the crime happened in Gary," he
added.

All day Wednesday, police recruits attending the Northwest Indiana Law
Enforcement Academy traipsed through muddy woods, fighting swarms off
mosquitoes and turning over logs and brush in their search of the area
between the gas station and Castillo's home.

Gary police also questioned Castillo's boyfriend, who complained he had suffered some serious burns recently.

Police would not comment on the 23-year-old man's condition. He was released Wednesday.

Neighbors near the gas station where Jada allegedly disappeared say they are afraid, and they are taking extra precautions.

"I've got a 4-year-old daughter. I'd never leave her in a vehicle when
I go anywhere. She's with me all the time. There's no doubt about
that," a man said. "It's very alarming."

Jada is described as an African-American female, 2 feet 2 inches tall
and 35 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a light brown
complexion. At the time she vanished, she was wearing orange skirt, a
white tank top with orange and green stripes, white sandals and purple
underwear, the FBI said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI Indianapolis Office
at (317) 639-3301. The U.S. Marshals office has also joined in the
search.

TomTerrific0420 wrote:

On Tuesday, June 16, 2009, a relative from Hobart, Indiana took a
short trip with toddler Jada Justice, to get milk at a gas station
mini-mart in Gary, Indiana at Ridge Road and Louisiana Street. The
relative, who was caring for Jada for about one week, entered the store
for only minutes according to a report filed with Gary Police
Department. When the relative (a cousin) returned after a few minutes
in the store, Jada was missing. Jada Justice was last seen sitting in a
car seat in the relative’s parked car at the gas station convenient
mart. The car seat remained in the back seat.
Jada Justice is described as a black female, 3 years-old in August
2009, 2′ 2″ tall and weighing 35 to 50 pounds. Clothing details were
not available. Exact time of occurrence is unknown, but a police report
was filed about 9:30 p.m.
There is no AMBER ALERT on this case at time of posting of the
article because AMBER ALERT criteria requires suspect information to
post an AMBER ALERT. No suspect information is available at the time of
article posting. No custody dispute problems are known to be related to
the case of the missing little girl.ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST)
Hobart Police Department (Indiana) 1-219-942-1125

I find it somewhat strange that this child was "abducted" on the anniversary of Caylee's death/dissapearance and both of their birthday's are in August. I'm not saying they're related in anyway, just a strange coincidence.

GARY, INDIANA - It's been almost 24 hours since a two-year-old girl
from Portage, Indiana disappeared. She was in the back seat of a car
one minute at a gas station, gone the next.

Jada Justice turns three in August. She's an African-American of
average height and weight for her age. The family is desperate to find
her. She disappeared from a Gary, Indiana gas station late last night.
To date, the story is that Jada's sitter left the child in the car. She
said she went in the gas station to purchase a gallon of milk at 9:30
p.m. and when she came back out, Jada was gone.

Family friends are passing out flyers and the U.S. marshals are going
door-to-door and executed a search warrant at the home of the
babysitter just blocks from where Jada disappeared.

"We are just covering all bases," said Commander Anthony Titus of the
Gary Police Deparment. "We don't have specific information to say
anything occurred anywhere but we want to cover all tracks at this
time."

The girl's father wants her returned home safely, no questions asked.

"I hope she ain't kidnapped and I hope you know, they hiding her
somewhere or somebody is holding her," Clarence Justice, Jada's father.
You know, that is not going to harm her or nothing like that."

While there are no signs of foul play at Ridge Road and Louisiana
Street, nothing has been ruled out. The detectives want the public to
look for the 35 pound girl wearing an orange skirt and striped shirt
who answers to Jada or JJ.

"She's sweet. She has a beautiful smile, happy, you know, she loves her life. "

The babysitter is also a cousin to Jada's mother. She was the last one
to see Jada last evening. She's in police custody at this hour. The
18-year-old is cooperating fully with authorities but could be charged
with child neglect.

Endangered Missing

JADA JUSTICE

DOB: Aug 3, 2006 Missing: Jun 16, 2009 Age Now: 2 Sex: Female Race: Black Hair: Black Eyes: Brown Height: 2'2" (66 cm) Weight: 35 lbs (16 kg) Missing From: GARY IN United States

Both photos shown are of Jada. She was last seen on June 16, 2009. Jada may be with an adult companion. She was last seen wearing an orange skirt and a striped shirt.

ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT National Center for Missing & Exploited Children 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST) Hobart Police Department (Indiana) 1-219-942-1125

The FBI has established a hotline for tips about a missing 2-year-old girl from Gary, Ind.

Anyone with any information about Jada Justice should call 1-800-CALL-FBI, special agent Wendy Osborne said.Jada is described as 2 foot, 2 inches tall, 35 pounds, black hair,
brown eyes and light brown complexion. She was last seen wearing an
orange skirt, white tank top with orange and green stripes, and white
sandals.Jada will be 3 in August.
Jada disappeared at about 9:40 p.m. Tuesday when a cousin left the toddler
alone in a car to get milk at the Glen Park Gas Station at 1401 East
Ridge Road in Gary, Ind., police said.
Jada had been staying with her cousin but was to return to her
mother on Saturday, police said. No family member is involved in a
custody dispute with the mother over Jada, and there's no reason to
believe a family member may have taken her, police said.
Police have searched the area, including using police dogs, they said.
"At this time, nothing is being ruled out," Osborne said, adding the
FBI has been speaking with everyone involved in Jada's life.
Osborne said the case does not qualify for an Amber Alert because there is no vehicle or suspect description.

GARY, Ind. —
Investigators and family members say they are suspicious about the
account the cousin of a 2-year-old girl has given of how the child
disappeared from outside a convenience store.
Authorities continued a search Thursday for 2-year-old Jada Justice of Portage that
began when 18-year-old Angelica Castillo told police she discovered the
child was missing when she returned to the car Tuesday night after
buying a gallon of milk.
"We are leery of the baby sitter's accounting of the facts, but right now that's all we
have to work with," Gary police Cmdr. Anthony Titus said.
Castillo was being held by the Gary Police Department as a person of interest,
but Titus said preliminarily it did not appear she had anything to do
with the toddler's disappearance.
Mike Valdez, the girl's uncle, said he could not understand why Castillo
didn't leave Jada with her boyfriend while she ran the errand and why
she drove past several other convenience stores before stopping at the
store in Gary. He also doesn't understand why police dogs were unable
to pick up Jada's scent at the scene.
"Obviously if the baby was there fresh in the car seat, the dog would have eventually picked up her scent as well," he said.Customers told police
officers they saw no one around Castillo's 1991 Cadillac Fleetwood
while it was parked in the convenience store's parking lot.
Police in the neighboring city of Hobart obtained a search warrant for
Castillo's home Wednesday, where they found bloody crib sheets. Hobart
investigators determined the blood came from a dog in heat, and shifted
the investigation back to Gary.
The FBI on Thursday set up a hotline — 1-800-CALL-FBI — for tips concerning the missing girl.
Authorities said Wednesday night the focus of the search will be in three areas —
the Gary neighborhood where Jada was reported missing, as well as
neighborhoods in both Hobart and Porter County. Gary police spokeswoman
Cpl. Gabrielle King did not immediately return telephone messages left
by The Associated Press on Thursday.
Valdez said his niece was staying with Castillo because Jada's mother had
planned to go out of town with a boyfriend and was visiting friends.
Valdez urged Castillo to tell the truth about what happened.
"If there's anything you're not telling us, let us know," he said.

GARY, Ind., June 18 (UPI) -- Police say they are suspicious about a
babysitter's account of the disappearance Tuesday of a child in her
care in Gary, Ind.
Jada Justice, nearly 3, is missing, and her caregiver, Angelica
Castillo, 18, of Hobart, Ind., has been charged with neglect of a
dependent, the Gary Post-Tribune reported.
Castillo, a cousin of Jada's mother, Melissa Swiontek of Portage,
told police the child disappeared from her car at Glen Park Gas in
Gary. She said she left the baby
in the unlocked car while she went in to buy milk.
Customers of the gas station told police they didn't see anyone near
the car, a 1991 maroon Cadillac Fleetwood. Police dogs found no scent
around thecar.
A search by police and recruits at a nearby police academy went on for hours.
Police Cmdr. Anthony Titus said, "We are leery of the babysitter's accounting of the facts."

Authorities are offering a $6,000 reward for information to help find a missing toddler in Hobart, Ind.

Investigators say they have very few clues in the disappearance of Jada Justice, 2, who was last seen in a car at a Gary gas station on Monday.

Jada vanished while in the care of Angelica Castillo, 18, of Hobart, a
cousin to the missing girl's mother. Castillo is now charged with
neglect.

Castillo says she left the child in her car seat with the doors
unlocked at the Glen Park Gas Station, at 1401 E. Ridge Rd. in Gary,
while she ran in to buy some milk and cigarettes. She says when she
came out, the car was still there, but Jada was gone.

But police doubt Castillo's story. Other customers told police they saw
no one around Castillo's 1991 maroon Cadillac Fleetwood while it was
parked in the lot.

And police dogs brought into the search found no scent in the immediate area.

Jada's mother, Melissa Swiontek, of Portage, Ind., refused to give up
hope that her daughter would be found alive and well. "The more people
that come to look, the more who are involved, is encouragement to me,"
she said.

Shortly after their search began, the family learned someone had found
suspicious items in the backyard of Castillo's home at 3925 Missouri
St. in Hobart.

Federal agents joined Hobart police, who used shovels in their search.

Investigators dug a small area in the easement behind Castillo's home
but determined most of the dirt had not been disturbed recently and
halted the search there after about an hour. They took some evidence
but declined to provide details.

Jada's father, Clarence Justice, his wife and other members of his
family spent Wednesday at the gas station on Ridge Road passing out
fliers and talking to customers.

Elizabeth Justice, Jada's stepmother, said the girl spent "every other weekend" at the couple's Hammond home.

"She loves McDonald's. We usually take her to the playground inside.
She loves cheeseburgers and chicken nuggets," Justice said. "And she's
tough. She sticks up for her little brother."

Castillo was expected to be released from jail Thursday night after
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter rejected charging information
presented by Gary police. Police arrested Castillo after she related
her story of the toddler's disappearance and hoped to obtain a felony
charge of neglect of a dependent.

Her 23-year-old boyfriend had been questioned and released early in the investigation.

On Thursday, as relatives kept a vigil at the gas station, the FBI
Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team also joined the investigation.

Jada is described as an African-American female, 2 feet 2 inches tall
and 35 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes and a light brown
complexion. At the time she vanished, she was wearing orange skirt, a
white tank top with orange and green stripes, white sandals and purple
underwear, the FBI said.

Anyone with information is asked to call 1 (800) 225-5324, or Gary
police Cmdr. Anthony Titus at (219) 881-1237, (219) 881-1229 or (219)
881-1210.

Police
and FBI agents in Indiana will meet with the Lake County
prosecutors Monday to review the case of a missing 2-year-old
Portage girl.
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said his office would sit down with
police representatives from Gary, Hobart and Portage, as well as the
FBI, to decide how to proceed in the case of Jada Justice, who went
missing Tuesday outside a Gary convenience store.
"We want to talk about the case in its entirety," Carter said. "We
would like to find the child. Once we know the status of the child,
that will help us decide how to proceed with the case."
Jada's 18-year-old cousin and babysitter, Angelica Castillo, told
police she left the girl in the car while running into a Gary
convenience store to grab a gallon of milk Tuesday night. When she
returned to the car, Castillo said, Jada was gone.
Other family members and police officials have expressed skepticism with Castillo's account.
Castillo was questioned by Gary police but was released Friday afternoon.
Police presented Carter's office with a request for a charge of
neglect of a child this week against somebody connected with the
disappearance, but the prosecutor declined to approve the charge.
"We weren't interested in that," Carter said. He declined to say who the requested charge was against.
Saturday morning, detectives in Hobart were canvassing the neighborhood around Castillo's home, police said.

HOBART | The mom of a missing 2-year-old Portage girl choked back tears
Friday as she pleaded for the public's help in bringing her daughter
home.
I just know someone knows something. ... She brightens up
my world. I need her home," Melissa Swiontek said of her daughter, Jada
Justice.
Swiontek and Clarence Justice, Jada's father, spoke
briefly at a news conference at the Hobart Police Department Training
Center at Westfield Southlake mall.
Deputy Police Chief Jeff White, who led the news conference, declined to answer any questions
after reading from a brief statement seeking help from the public in
the case.
White said his department, Gary police and the FBI are
working together to investigate the disappearance of Jada Justice from
the Glen Park Gas station at the intersection of Louisiana Street and
Ridge Road in Gary on Tuesday night.

Engelica Castillo, Jada's 18-year-old cousin, had been baby-sitting the toddler when she disappeared.
Castillo, who lives in the 3900 block of Missouri Street in Hobart, told police
she took Jada with her to the Gary gas station to buy milk. She said
she left Jada in the car and when she came out Jada was missing.
"We believe there are individuals who have information important to this
investigation who have not yet come forward because they do not feel
their information was important; they thought someone else may have
reported it or they were not sure it was relevant," White said.
He asked people to call (800) CALL-FBI if they have seen Jada Justice
since Sunday or if they have seen Castillo or her boyfriend, Tim
Tkachik, with or without the toddler Sunday through Tuesday.

Castillo drives a 1991 maroon Cadillac Fleetwood, and Tkachik generally drives a 1999 red Chevrolet Tahoe.
"All sightings are extremely important to this investigation," White said in his statement.
Castillo had been held by the Gary Police Department as a person of interest but
was released Thursday and not charged, Gary police Cmdr. Anthony Titus
said.
Titus, who joined White at the news conference, said police remain skeptical about details surrounding Jada's disappearance.
"At this point, it's still where it was Tuesday night," Titus said.
Police are not currently pursuing charges against Castillo, Titus said, but he did not rule out the possibility.
He said police have not ruled out any leads or potential suspects or interested parties.
"Everybody's a suspect until we can say they're not," Titus said.
He said blood found at Castillo's home in Hobart is still included as possible evidence to investigate.
"I don't think anything has been nipped in the bud," Titus said.
Jada's disappearance also has drawn the national attention of "America's Most Wanted" TV show, White said, earlier on Friday.
A photo and information about Jada Justice is already on the show's Web
site, and her case is being considered for a slot on an upcoming show,
White said.
He said FBI agents were canvassing areas Friday morning seeking information on the disappearance.
That canvassing included showing residents photos of Jada, Castillo and Tkachik, he said.

Armed with water bottles and fliers, family members and supporters
spent the hot Saturday spreading the word about missing Portage girl
Jada Justice.
Nearly 3-year-old Jada has been missing since
Tuesday night, when her babysitter and cousin Engelica Castillo said
she was taken from a Gary gas station.
"Everybody's just racking their brains," Stephanie Floyd, former stepsister of Jada's mother, Melissa Swiontek, said Saturday.
Castillo told police she drove Tuesday night to the Glen Park gas station at
Ridge Road and Louisiana Street to buy milk and left Jada in the car.
When she returned minutes later, the toddler was gone, she told police.
Hobart police officers continued searching the wooded areas near Castillo's
home in the 3900 block of Missouri Street Saturday, Hobart Deputy Chief
Jeff White said.
White said there no new leads in the case, but that his department continued to work with Gary police and the FBI in the search.
White said his department and the other agencies are expected to meet with
Lake County prosecutor Bernard Carter's office Monday to discuss the
case.
Police have expressed doubt about Castillo's story, and
Gary police initially arrested her as a person of interest in the case.
She was released Thursday without being charged.

GARY -- Members of two area churches gathered at the Glen Park gas
station where 2-year-old Jada Justice was reported missing to pray for
the toddler's safe return.

"We're here to show our support," said Crown Point resident Lenore Barrea, a member of Calvary Tabernacle Church in Griffith.

Calvary, the church Jada's father, Clarence Justice, attends, and
members of Christian Revival Center in East Chicago held a candlelight
prayer vigil outside the gas station.

Melissa Swiontek has made daily trips to the station at 1401 E. Ridge Road since her daughter disappeared

"We're waiting for her to come back. She was taken from here and
this is where we hope she will be returned," Swiontek, 27, of Portage,
said after the prayer service ended.

Eugelica Castillo of Hobart told police Jada was taken from her car when she stopped at the gas station to buy milk.

Castillo told police she last saw Jada in a car seat in her unlocked car.

Police have conducted several searches of the area between the gas station and Castillo's home at 3925 Missouri St. in Hobart.

"We're positive there are people out there with information about this case," Hobart Deputy Police Chief Jeffery White said.

"Jada's family deserves to have Jada back. And we hope that
someone's conscious will make them call us so we can make that happen,"
White said.

Hobart police are investigating the disappearance in conjunction with the FBI and the Gary Police Department.

On Saturday, White said several rumors were circulating that Jada had been found.

A relative, he said, came to the Lake County Coroner's Office in
tears after hearing that the child's body had been found. Around the
same time, shoppers at a Gary flea market cheered when they heard the
toddler had been spotted in the crowd, White said. The elation was
short-lived.

"There's no truth to those rumors and we are not letting up on this case," White said.

Anyone with information about Jada's disappearance is asked to call the FBI hotline at (800) 225-5324.

Police and FBI agents in Indiana plan to meet with the Lake County prosecutors on Monday to review the case of a missing 2-year-old Portage girl.

Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said his office would sit down with police representatives from Gary,
Hobart and Portage, as well as the FBI, to decide how to proceed in the
case of Jada Justice, who disappeared Tuesday outside a Gary
convenience store.

"We want to talk about the case in its
entirety," Carter said. "We would like to find the child. Once we know
the status of the child, that will help us decide how to proceed with
the case."

Jada's 18-year-old cousin and baby-sitter, Angelica
Castillo, told police she left the girl in the car while running into a
Gary convenience store to grab a gallon of milk Tuesday night. When she
returned to the car, Jada was gone, Castillo said.

Police presented Carter's office with a request for a charge of neglect of a
child this week against somebody connected with the disappearance, but
the prosecutor declined to approve the charge.

CROWN POINT-- The search for 2-year-old Jada Justice continued
Monday, but officials say they have no leads on the whereabouts of the
Portage girl reported missing seven days ago.

Staff from the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI and police from
Hobart and Gary met at Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter's office
Monday morning.

FBI spokeswoman Wendy Osborne said there are no new leads in the
case. Police began an intensive, eight-hour search June 16 after the
girl's babysitter reported Jada had disappeared from a car parked at a
gas station in Gary's Glen Park neighborhood.

Gary police have said they have doubts about the story told by the
baby sitter, Angelica Castillo, the 18-year-old cousin of Justice's
mother, Melissa Swiontek.

Castillo told police she left Jada in a car seat in her unlocked
Cadillac Fleetwood about 9:40 p.m., while she went into the gas station
to buy milk. When she returned, she said the girl was gone.

Police dogs did not pick up Jada's scent near the car

Police found bloody sheets in Castillo's home in Hobart, but
concluded the blood came from a dog in heat. Castillo was held at the
Lake County Jail for child neglect, but was released when prosecutors

Anyone with information about Jada Justice should call the FBI at
(800) 225-5324, Cmdr. Anthony Titus at 881-1237, Detective Chris
Rodriguez at 881-1210 or Detective James Nielsen at 881-1229.

The search for Jada Justice enters its second week today, as a joint
team of local police and FBI agents continued following leads in the
disappearance of the 2-year-old.

Justice was reported missing June 16 by 18-year-old cousin Eugelica
Castillo, who told police she left the toddler in her car while she
went to buy a gallon of milk from a gas station on Ridge Road in Gary.
When she returned, the girl was gone.

A team of two dozen police from Hobart and Gary, and FBI agents are
working around the clock, exploring tips flowing into a special FBI
toll-free number, and this after a six-hour search that involved police
dogs, helicopters and sent more than 100 police officers scouring
through the wooded, one-mile area between the gas station and
Castillo's home in Hobart.

"In all my years in police work, I have never seen these kinds of
resources dedicated to anything like (the search) for Jada," said
Hobart Deputy Chief Jeff White, who said investigators now need more
information from the public to close out the investigation.

"Statistically, a lot of time passing is not good for the victim,"
White said. "But we are hopeful and our goal remains to return Jada to
her family."

Tuesday night, Justice's father, Clarence Justice of Hammond, was to appear on the CNN show "Nancy Grace" to discuss the case.

Gary police said last week they were "leery" of Castillo's account.
Castillo had been watching Justice since June 8 while Jada's mother,
27-year-old Melissa Swiontek, was on a trip. White said investigators
have been frustrated with a lack of cooperation from Castillo and her
live-in boyfriend, 24-year-old Timothy Tkachik.

White declined to comment on specifics Tuesday, saying only: "If I
was responsible for someone else's child and she had disappeared while
in my custody, I would have done everything and anything to help find
them.

"Let's just say that has not been the case."

Police last week circulated photographs of Jada, Castillo and
Tkachik. Tkachik's photograph appears to show multiple burns on his
face, though police have not said how Tkachik explained his injuries.

Police had canvassed the neighborhood between Castillo and Tkachik's
home and the gas station twice by Tuesday, and FBI agents had
interviewed registered offenders living in the vicinity.

Last week, investigators searched Castillo's home, where they
discovered bloodied sheets and dug up an area in the back yard. The
blood was determined to have come from a female dog in heat, and police
stopped digging after determining the soil didn't appear to have been
disturbed prior to their search.

White said anyone with information about the whereabouts and
movements of any of the three, or the 1991 maroon Cadillac Castillo was
driving on June 16 or the days before and after Jada's disappearance
can help investigators.

"There is no doubt in my mind someone out there knows where Jada
is," White said. "Their conscience, their religion, whatever, needs to
come through and have them call us."

Anyone with information can contact investigators on the FBI tip line at (800) 225-5324.

GARY | Jada Justice's 18-year-old baby sitter appeared to be under the
influence of some sort of substance the night she reported the
2-year-old girl missing, Gary police Cmdr. Anthony Titus said Tuesday.

"We
know there was something she was intoxicated with," Titus said, without
going into further detail. "I can't say it was cocaine, but there was
something. ... It was obvious."

But police will never know for sure because they never tested the baby sitter, Engelica Castillo, Titus said.

He
said police feared any tests would have meant stopping the interview,
strapping handcuffs on the girl and getting her to consent to be
tested. And that could have meant a lack of cooperation in trying to
find the toddler, who remained missing Tuesday, one week after the
initial report.

Castillo couldn't be reached for comment following multiple attempts Tuesday.

"Our concern was with finding the missing child," Titus said of why police failed to test her for the use of any substances.

Castillo, who initially was held by Gary police as a person of interest, later was released without being charged.

Titus said Castillo also has been interviewed by Hobart police and the FBI.

Castillo, who had been baby-sitting the Portage toddler in Hobart, reported Jada missing on the night of June 16.

She
told Gary police she had driven from her Hobart home to the Glen Park
Gas station, at the intersection of Louisiana and Ridge Road in Gary,
to buy some milk and cigarettes.

Jada, who was left inside the
car, was missing when Castillo came out of the grocery store after
making her purchases, she reported to police.

Titus said Gary police have sent via computer a nationwide notice of Jada's disappearance to other police agencies.

He
said a meeting Monday among local police, Lake County Prosecutor
Bernard Carter, the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office went well but he
would not elaborate further.

"We wanted to make sure everybody
is on board with the communication. ... We want to make sure that
everyone who needs to be involved is involved," Titus said.

Investigators, who on Friday sought information from the public, did receive quite a few leads, he said.

"We're still following any leads, and we're still doing searches," Titus said.

Police are asking anyone who has information about the case to call (800) CALL-FBI.

Body found may be 2-year-old Jada Justice

"A child’s body has been found in a field about 30 miles from the location where 2-year-old Jada Justice reportedly disappeared. Police believe the body may be that of the missing toddler.
Police discovered the body in the afternoon on Thursday in Otis, Indiana.

...."

http://www.examiner.com/x-1168-Crime-Examiner~y2009m6d25-Body-found-may-be-2yearold-Jada-Justice

Body believed to be that of missing toddler

Updated:
("Jun 25, 2009 8:11 PM EST"); June 25, 2009 07:11 PM CDT

Jada Justice had been missing since last week.

"Hobart - A prosecutor says a body found in rural northern Indiana is believed to be that of a 2-year-old Portage girl who vanished more than a week ago.
Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said he's quite certain that the body found Thursday afternoon in rural LaPorte County near the town of Otis, Ind., is that of Jada Justice.
But he said a formal identification still needs to be done. An autopsy is scheduled to be performed Friday on the body.

...." http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=10598221

Moving this to the "murdered children" thread for now..as it seems pretty positive pending formal testing....of course there is always the slim chance we can be proven wrong but :.0 :.0 :.0 Prayers to Jada's family!

Investigators believe they have found body of missing toddler



By Times Staff | Thursday, June 25, 2009 | (33 comment(s))
JESSICA A. WOOLF | THE TIMES Clarence Justice, the father of Jada Justice, hugs friends outside the Glen Park Gas Station, where Engelica Castillo reported Jada missing on June 16. Investigators believe Jada's body was found Thursday in LaPorte County after a nine day search. NWI Photo Store



PHOTO ILLUSTRATION Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said Thursday that two people are in custody in connection with a murder investigation into the June 16 disappearance of Jada Justice. He would not confirm the identities of those in custody, saying it was still an active investigation. However, other sources with knowledge of the investigation said Thursday that Jada's baby sitter Engelica Castillo and her boyfriend Tim Tkachik were arrested at a rural Porter County residence near Valparaiso Wednesday night in connection with the case. Carter said charges are expected to filed in the case Friday. NWI Photo Store




GREGG GEARHART | THE TIMES LaPorte County Coroner John Sullivan told The Times Thursday that he was aware police were searching an area near U.S. 421 in rural LaPorte County in connection with the Jada Justice case, but he said he could not comment on the matter as it was not his agency's case. As of 4:30 p.m. Thursday, police and FBI agents had closed off Snyder Road, just north of the toll road and a couple hundred yards west of U.S. 421 near Otis, Ind. NWI Photo Store





HOBART | Investigators believe they have found the slain body of missing 2-year-old Jada Justice in rural LaPorte County and have taken two suspects into custody, Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter said Thursday.

"We have reason to believe that we have recovered the body of Jada Justice but we do not know from forensic standpoint," Carter said. "We feel very comfortable that we do, in fact, have Jada Justice."
http://www.nwi.com/articles/2009/06/25/updates/breaking_news/doc4a43a1384f183585438698.txt

This woman trusted her cousin and boyfriend to take care of this baby, and the probably murdered her while getting high. Makes me sick to my stomach that these young people feel like is not important enough and kids are not humans, that they would take a life so easily. Somethings got to change. Give them all the death penalty without a trial. AN EYE FOR AN EYE.....

HOBART | Authorities believe 2-year-old Jada Justice likely had been killed and encased in concrete in shallow water for three days in LaPorte County by the time she was falsely reported missing.

Investigators believe they discovered the remains of the missing Portage toddler Thursday near rural Otis, Ind. The remains have not been positively identified as those of Jada, but an autopsy is scheduled for today in Lake County.

http://nwi.com/articles/2009/06/26/news/top/docd6cdf7a3632f9d20862575e1000c00de.txt

By Jerry Davich, Post-Tribune columnist

Sadly, this is the outcome most of us expected, isn't it?

The extensive and exhaustive nine-day search for 2-year-old Jada
Justice of Portage has come to an end, pending an autopsy this morning
that will likely identify her body.

Multiple sources say that her body was badly burned. Having just
written that, I can't imagine the horrible condition of Jada's little
body if it takes a forensic autopsy to confirm it's her. How doubly sad
for her loved ones.

Maybe I'm a born cynic. Maybe I've been in this business too long.
Or maybe my glass isn't simply half-empty, it also is cracked, but this
case never appeared to have a happy ending. Thursday's grisly news only
confirmed it.

"I wish we had better news," one police official told media at
Thursday's news conference, just hours after Jada's alleged body was
found in LaPorte County.

Yes, all of us wished for better news as we watched Jada's family
and multiple police agencies scour the region for the girl. But most of
us probably expected this news. I wonder if this says more about us or
our society today.

From the get-go of this case and Jada's mysterious disappearance on
June 16, there was lingering suspicion about her cousin baby sitter and
the 18-year-old woman's boyfriend, who had burn marks on his body.

"I hate coincidences. I have my entire career. But why now is her
boyfriend's face burned?" asked one retired police officer with decades
of experience.

And, I wonder, how coincidental that the boyfriend allegedly lived near the site where Jada's remains were found.

Everything is starting to add up, isn't it? And everyone from
detective wannabes to veteran police officers has tried to figure out
what happened to Jada, even as minor controversies involving her family
muddied the waters more.

"I don't believe for a minute that someone in just those few
minutes, while the (baby sitter) was in the gas station, abducted that
little girl to keep and raise her," the retired officer told me
Thursday morning before Jada's body was found. "With this much time
having passed, it is just not going to have a happy ending."

That's true. But at least her loved ones now know where she is, and
they can stop posting fliers and pleading for witnesses to an
"abduction" that probably never happened at a gas station in Gary.

Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter reminded reporters Thursday
that officials only "have reason to believe" the tiny body found in a
remote area of LaPorte County is Jada.

Similarly, from my remote perspective on the outskirts of this case,
I have reason to believe Jada's death will linger in our minds for
quite some time. Possibly because of the long search for her -- or her
body -- which attracted local and national attention.

Thursday's high-profile deaths of international celebrities Michael
Jackson and Farrah Fawcett will surely overshadow the homicide of a
Northwest Indiana toddler. But Jada's murder case isn't nearly as cut
and dried as the two pop culture icons' health-related deaths.

In many ways, it's just beginning.

Law enforcement did its job. The coroner's office will do its job
today. It's now up to the prosecutor's office to do its job -- bringing
the killer or killers of Jada to justice.