The toddler whose body was found decomposing in an ice cooler on the side of a New York Highway 22 years ago has finally been identified.
She was known only as ‘Baby Hope’ for two decades, but New York police announced on Saturday that her name was Anjelica Castillo, reports CNN. This news comes after it was reported this week that police had found the toddler’s mother after they had received a tip.
Police have also announced that they have made an arrest in the cold case. On Saturday, they arrested Castillo’s cousin, 52-year-old Conrado Juarez, after he reportedly confessed to killing the toddler and putting her in the cooler all those years ago.
Juarez confessed to police that he sexually assaulted the girl before he smothered her with a pillow. He called his sister, Balvena Juarez Ramirez, into the hallway where he killed the girl.
It was Juarez’s sister who suggested that they get rid of Castillo’s body. She brought in the cooler that Castillo was later found in beside the Henry Hudson Parkway.
Ramirez has died in the two decades since the girl was killed, according to CNN.
This July, on the 22nd anniversary of the discovery of Castillo’s body, a new wave of publicity was started for the cold case. Retired detective Jerry Giorgio, who worked on the case back in the 90s, said that he was confident that Baby Hope’s case would be solved, reports CBS News.
"You know that expression 'I'm on cloud nine'?" Giorgio told reporters on Saturday. "Well I'm on cloud nine."