Fourth Body Found in Brentwood Identified as Missing Teen Boy: Police

The body was identified as 15-year-old Miguel Garica-Moran, who hasn't been seen since February

What to Know

  • Police identified the set of remains found Wednesday in Brentwood as Miguel Garcia-Moran, who hadn't been seen since February.
  • His body was found near that of Oscar Acosta, a 19-year-old Brentwood High School senior not seen in months.
  • It comes amid increasing concerns about gangs in the town after the deaths of Nisa Mickens and Kayla Cuevas, two high school best friends

The second of the two bodies found in the woods near Long Island Railroad tracks earlier this week has been identified as a 15-year-old boy not seen since February, authorities said Friday.

Suffolk County authorities said the body found in Brentwood on Wednesday is Miguel Garcia-Moran. His remains were found near those of Oscar Acosta, a 19-year-old Brentwood High School student who had also been missing for several months. 

The bodies were discovered as police searched the town in the wake of the killings of high school best friends Nisa Mickens and Kayla Cuevas. The two girls, 15 and 16, were both found beaten to death in the town last week. 

Authorities said that the two were victims of gang violence; police later said that Acosta's death was linked to gangs as well.

Garcia-Moran's parents had also expressed concern that he may have been a gang target. Police, who said the teen was the victim of a homicidal beating, are investigating whether his death could be linked to organized crime. 

It's not clear if the deaths of Mickens and Cuevas were connected to the killings of Acosta or Garcia-Moran.

Authorities also said Friday that they're investigating whether a person in federal custody on unrelated charges could be linked to any of the killings. 

Friday's revelation comes as Brentwood school officials warn parents about sending students to bus stops in "clothing that could be considered gang-affiliated" after someone grabbed and set ablaze a student's blue shirt.

Suffolk County police said on Friday that the department was launching an "all-out assault" on gangs in the 11-square-mile town as well as in Central Islip and Wyandanch. 

On Thursday, police scoured the grounds of a state-run psychiatric hospital in the area where the remains were found. It wasn't clear whether the Suffolk County officers decked out in white plastic suits had found anything at the Pilgrim Psychiatric Hospital, or if the search was related to the ongoing homicide investigations.

Anyone with information on the killings of Garica-Moran, Acosta, Mickens or Cuevas is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS. A $50,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest in the deaths of Mickens and Cuevas.

Contact Us