Page 7 - ARUBA TODAY

A7
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 8 august 2018

Remains of unidentified boy found at New Mexico compound

By MORGAN LEE cause he believed the
AMALIA, N.M. (AP) — 3-year-old was possessed
Searchers found the re- by the devil. The mother
mains of a boy after raiding told police that Wahhaj
a makeshift compound last took the boy for a trip to a
week in search of a missing park and never returned.
Georgia child, authorities Abdul-ghani was believed
said Tuesday. to have been at the Ama-
The remains were found lia compound as recently
Monday during a search in as several weeks ago, Ho-
Amalia, near the Colorado grefe has said.
border. Taos County Sheriff The warrant said the boy
Jerry Hogrefe said. Authori- suffered from severe medi-
ties were awaiting positive cal issues including hypox-
identification of the re- ic-ischemic encephalopa-
mains. thy, a defect caused by
The search for Abdul-ghani lack of oxygen and blood
of Georgia led authorities flow around the time of
Friday to the squalid com- birth.
pound where they found The boy's mother said the
Siraj Ibn Wahhaj, the father boy can't walk and requires
of the missing boy, along constant attention.
with four other adults and Property owner Jason Bad-
11 children living in filthy ger said he and his wife
conditions. had pressed authorities to
"We discovered the remains remove the group from the
yesterday on Abdul's fourth makeshift compound on
birthday," Hogrefe said, ap- his land.
pearing to fight back tears. However, it took a plea for This Aug. 5, 2018 photo shows a "no trespassing" sign outside the location where people camped
The sheriff said authorities help and the search for the near Amalia, N.M.
returned to the compound missing boy to finally draw Associated Press
after interviews Friday and sheriff's deputies to the des- missing boy's father, have the message or how it was he eventually stopped visit-
Saturday led them to be- olate site that was walled been charged with child communicated. Georgia ing the compound.
lieve the boy might still be off by stacks of old tires, abuse. detectives forwarded the Anderson said the children
on the property. wooden pallets and other Children ages 1 to 15 were message to the Taos Coun- found inside the com-
"We had a good idea of a debris. rescued from the com- ty Sheriff's Office. pound at first played at
target location to look for Badger said he had con- pound that had been Wahhaj was armed with neighboring properties but
the child," he said cerns about the compound under investigation for several guns, including a stopped in recent months.
The father of the boy has near the Colorado border. months. loaded AR-15 assault rifle, The women, believed to
been accused of leaving But he says the courts and Hogrefe said FBI agents when he was taken into be mothers of some of the
Georgia in December with other authorities shot down had surveilled the area custody without incident at children, have been iden-
his then 3-year-old son. his attempts to break up a few weeks ago but did the compound, the sheriff tified as 35-year-old Jany
Wahhaj was expected to the encampment — de- not find probable cause to said. Leveille, 38-year-old Hujrah
appear in court Wednes- scribed as a trailer buried in search the property. An FBI Morton was taken into cus- Wahhaj, and 35-year-old
day on a previous warrant the ground. spokesman didn't immedi- tody on suspicion of har- Subhannah Wahhaj.
from Georgia that seeks Court records show a judge ately return a call by The boring a fugitive. Jail booking photos show
his extradition to face a dismissed an eviction no- Associated Press seeking Tyler Anderson, who lives them wearing traditional
charge of abducting his tice filed by Badger against comment. near the compound, Muslim veils or hijabs. It
son from that state last De- Lucas Morton in June. The Authorities staged a raid believes the group had wasn't clear whether they
cember. records didn't provide fur- after someone believed moved to the area to live had retained attorneys.
According to the extradi- ther details on the judge's to have been in the com- off the grid, just as he had The public defender's of-
tion warrant, Wahhaj told decision. pound sent out a message done. fice in Taos County did not
the boy's mother that he Morton was among the five for help that said: "We are Anderson said he had immediately return a tele-
wanted to perform an ex- adults arrested after the starving and need food helped the newcomers in- phone message from The
orcism on the child, who raid. and water." stall solar panels after they Associated Press seeking
suffered from seizures, be- The adults, including the It wasn't clear who sent arrived in December. But comment.q