More human remains found, arrests made in Babylon body parts case, officials and sources say

Investigators were questioning people arrested early Tuesday in Amityville in connection with the discovery of human body parts found in a Babylon Village park last week, according to law enforcement sources, while Suffolk police said additional remains were discovered at Bethpage State Park and in a wooded area in West Babylon.

The remains discovered at Bethpage State Park and in West Babylon on Tuesday are believed to belong to the same man and woman whose body parts were found last week at Southards Pond Park in Babylon, Suffolk police said.

The female victim has been identified as a 59-year-old woman whose name is being withheld pending notification of her next of kin. The male has been tentatively identified as a 53-year-old man whose name is also being withheld. Their last known address was in Yonkers, police said, but it is not clear when they last resided there.

“Based on the investigation, this appears to be an isolated incident with no threat to the public,” Suffolk police said in a statement Tuesday afternoon. “The investigation is continuing.”

Human remains were discovered Tuesday in the woods across from a home on Lakeway Drive in West Babylon, about three miles from where the woman’s remains were found in Southards Pond Park. The scene was processed by the Suffolk County Police Homicide Squad and the Suffolk County Medical Examiner, officials said.

Additional remains were found in Bethpage State Park, police said, approximately eight miles away. That scene was processed by New York State Police and the Suffolk medical examiner.

Law enforcement sources said multiple people were arrested early Tuesday after a search warrant was executed at a two-story home on Railroad Avenue in Amityville. The sources said criminal charges were pending and that arraignments had not been scheduled as of Tuesday afternoon.

Suffolk police were seen conducting the search at the Amityville home early Tuesday morning. A Suffolk police Command Center vehicle was parked outside the home overnight, and two crime scene vehicles arrived at the home late Tuesday morning. Police were seen removing a brown bag from the home.

One neighbor said he saw police wearing SWAT gear enter the home with K-9 Unit dogs late Monday.

"It's terrible to hear," said Amityville resident Chip Clark, who lives close to the Railroad Avenue home searched by police. "It's a shocking thing … definitely something to talk to my therapist about."

A man identified in public records as the owner of the Railroad Avenue house declined to comment on the search Tuesday morning before hanging up on a Newsday reporter.

The remains of the woman — her head, left lower leg, right upper leg and arm — were found Thursday on the west side of Southards Pond Park, near Babylon Elementary School, police said last week. The discovery was not far from where a man’s severed arms were found on the east side of Southards Pond Park.

Det. Lt. Kevin Beyrer, the commander of the homicide squad, said last week that police were investigating all possible motives and potential suspects.

Beyrer said the remains of both victims did not appear to have been outside very long, perhaps just days or even hours, before they were discovered.

On Tuesday night, Meri Stewart, 42, and Rafael Urena, 36, both said they have lived in an apartment near the home below the LIRR tracks for four years.

Stewart said she came home from work Monday night to find the street blocked off by police, but she didn’t realize it was connected to the Babylon case until Tuesday morning.

“The police were here and I didn’t think anything of it,” Stewart said. “I didn’t know what was going on and now I’m scared. I didn’t know it was connected to the body parts case. ... Just too close to home.”

A Suffolk police command post was set up for much of Thursday and Friday near the intersection of Beverly Road and Ralph Avenue, with yellow crime scene tape obstructing public access to the park. Suffolk police were seen searching the park, as well as nearby North Babylon Cemetery, with the help of cadaver dogs. Investigators also were seen canvassing the area for home surveillance video.

A group of high school students walking to school at 8:41 a.m. Thursday discovered the first arm belonging to the male victim on the side of the road on Siegel Boulevard, between Mason and Park avenues, about 20 feet from the eastern edge of the park, police said.

One of the students called their father about the discovery, and the parent then notified police, officials said.

Investigators returned to the scene where the first arm was found with a K-9 unit and discovered the second arm, Beyrer said.

A police dog later found a woman's leg sticking out of a pile of leaves in a wooded area near Graham Place and Beverly Road, police said.