Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in New Jersey

HADDON TWP., N.J. -- The family of a 3-year-old boy who was found dead after being reported missing on Tuesday morning in Haddon Township, New Jersey has released a statement.

The statement from Samantha Denoto, the mother of 3-year-old Brendan Creato, and the Denoto Family reads:

We are heartbroken by the loss of our beautiful boy Brendan Creato. Along with the Creato family, who also lost a son and grandson, we are grieving and tremendously saddened.



We thank the community, which searched this morning for Brendan and gathered tonight in his memory. We appreciate your efforts and kind words.

We do not have any answers about what occurred.

We do not intend to make any further statements. We do not plan to speak to the media. We request that we be provided with privacy during this very difficult time.

Family, friends, and neighbors remembered the little boy Tuesday night. About 100 people gathered along Cooper Street, many holding candles, praying and singing in memory of Brendan:

"He loved pirates and he loved cats and dogs. He was going to be the Hulk for Halloween. He had his costume ready. He was a joy," family friend Donna Duca said.

Only hours earlier, Brendan's lifeless body was found by a K-9 about a half mile from his father's home in a wooded area off South Park Drive in Cooper River Park.

Authorities would not reveal any details about how the child died.

"We would need to wait for the medical examiner to conduct an autopsy to determine the manner of death," Andy McNeil of the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said.

McNeil said at this point, they would not discuss if there were any obvious signs of injury.

Family friends say the child's parents, Samantha Denoto and D.J. Creato, live in separate homes.

Authorities say the child's grandmother dropped the boy off at his father's apartment about 9:30 p.m. Monday. But he was reported missing by a family member at 6:00 a.m. the next morning.

Among others, authorities have been questioning the father.

"They won't let him talk to his parents because police won't let him talk to his parents. He's been there and he says he doesn't need a lawyer because he didn't do this. We know he didn't do it, he loved his baby," family friend Bernadette Ferrara said.

Family friends say despite a number of personal problems in D.J. Creato's life, his son was the most important thing to him.

"No matter what happened in their family life with the relationship with his wife, his work issues, when he saw Brendan, all that fell away and all he knew was this was the most important thing in his life," Duca said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Camden County Prosecutor's Office Detective Michael Rhoads at (856) 225-8561 or Haddon Township Police Detective Don Quinn at (856) 833-6208.