Human remains were found Tuesday afternoon in the backyard of a home where a tipster claimed a 5-year-old's body had been buried.
The mother is in custody but has not been charged. Police received the tip Monday that a child may be buried in the backyard of the home.
Investigators located human remains Tuesday afternoon. The remains were consistent with that of a young child, police said.
According to a police report, authorities received a call from someone in Pakistan about a child buried behind a home on the 1360 block of West 80th Street.
VIDEO: Investigators going into backyard where tipster told police body of child is buried. Mother is in custody. @WEWS pic.twitter.com/GRmnoMKovc
— Homa Bash (@HomaBashWEWS) December 19, 2017
The caller told police that around two months ago the boy's stepfather and mother found the child unresponsive and buried him in the yard.
The child's mother — who has eight other children — told police the boy is visiting his biological father in Texas. According to the report, she said the boy "has special needs and is unable to speak."
The woman was unable to provide a phone number, address or way to contact the boy's father, police said. She referred to the child's father as a "donor" who she met on Facebook, according to the report.
A spokesperson for Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services told News 5 that the agency took emergency custody of four of the children after Cleveland police detained the mother on Monday. Two other children are with their respective fathers.
Just got an update from @CLEpolice — mom is in custody, talking to detectives. They have search warrant for yard & home, Investigators have not found anything yet. Missing 5yo boy, tipster said he was buried in family’s backyard. Tarp went up just now. pic.twitter.com/deFwae8QNh
— Homa Bash (@HomaBashWEWS) December 19, 2017
The agency would not send News 5 documents related to the family but read us the documents over the phone. The spokesperson said Cuyahoga County Children and Family Services has a history with the mother. Two of the children were removed from her care years ago, the spokesperson said. That case is now sealed and no other details were released.
BREAKING: Sisters of woman in custody say “system failed”— say they called CPS to help their nieces and nephews over and over again. @WEWS pic.twitter.com/JRT83XS1To
— Homa Bash (@HomaBashWEWS) December 19, 2017
News 5 is not identifying the mother because she has not been charged with a crime.
