By: Richard L. Smith
Body parts recovered in Elizabeth in May have been identified as an Elizabeth man, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel, Elizabeth Police Director Earl Graves, and Elizabeth Police Chief Giacomo Sacca jointly announced today.
Officials say Woldy Ventura-Cruz, 34, has been identified from remains found floating in the area of the Arthur Kill and Elizabeth River on various days during the month of May, beginning with a discovery by police on May 16th.
During the ensuing joint investigation by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office Homicide Task Force and the Elizabeth Police Department, the remains were recovered and transported to the Union County Medical Examiner’s Office, who subsequently determined Ventura-Cruz’s manner of death to be a homicide and additionally performed testing that positively verified his identity.
The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information about Mr. Ventura-Cruz or this matter is urged to contact Prosecutor’s Office Sergeant Filipe Afonso at (908) 603-7116, Prosecutor’s Office Detective Kenneth Luongo at (908) 347-1935 or Elizabeth Police Department Detective James Szpond at (908) 558-2041.
Tips can also be submitted anonymously by phone at 908-654-TIPS (8477) or online at www.uctip.org (http://www.uctip.org/); submission of tips made in this fashion that result in an indictment and conviction can be eligible for a reward of up to $10,000 via the Union County Crime Stoppers.