A 9-year-old boy was discovered dead inside a torched car parked near a New Jersey high school, and his father is now facing several charges, including arson, officials said.
Authorities on Thursday received a 911 call about a car fire on Washington Road, not far from Sayreville War Memorial High School, CBS New York reported. When they arrived on the scene around 10:45 p.m., officers found 43-year-old Manuel Rivera on the ground outside the burning vehicle. He was suffering from what appeared to be a self-inflicted wound and burns on different parts of his body, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Police were also called around the same time to a residence on Eisenhower Drive to investigate reports of a domestic dispute. A woman at the home told them she and Rivera got into an argument that night, which ended with him taking their son from the home.
From there, Rivera drove to the local high school, where he has been working since January as a part-time cafeteria worker and driver, per a board of education meeting agenda. Police said it appears that Rivera doused the vehicle in gasoline before setting it aflame.
The boy’s body was found inside, prosecutors said. His name has not been released, but Sayreville Superintendent Richard Labbe in a statement shared Friday confirmed he attended Wilson Elementary School.
“It is with great shock and sorrow that I report to you that a Wilson School student was tragically killed last night in a car fire behind Sayreville War Memorial High School,” the statement read, adding that counseling services would be made available.
Sayerville Mayor Kennedy O’Brien also mourned the child’s death, vowing that the community will “stand in solidarity” with his loved ones.
“On this Good Friday, Sayreville is waking up to learn of a horrific incident that occurred overnight that shakes our community to its core: the loss of a 9-year-old child, allegedly at the hands of a parent,” he said. “Any time such senseless violence involves one of our children, it gravely affects all of Sayreville.”
Rivera, who survived his injuries, was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. He has since been charged with second-degree aggravated arson. Officials added that additional charges may be filed, pending the results of the boy’s autopsy report.
