LINKWoman, Baby Found Slain in Conn. Park
By LAURA WALSH
NEW MILFORD, Conn. (AP) - A woman and her baby son - his body still strapped in a stroller - were found stabbed to death in a park along the Housatonic River in western Connecticut, state police said.
The bodies of Lisa Aviles, 31, and her 4-month-old son, Damion Stone, were found Tuesday night along a walking trail in Lovers Leap State Park by two fishermen, police said. The baby was in his stroller; Aviles' body was found nearby.
Police identified a ``person of interest'' Wednesday evening, and were awaiting search and arrest warrants from a judge.
Police have described the homicides as gruesome and say witnesses reported hearing screams.
``In my 30 years as a state trooper, I've never seen a scene that was so horrific,'' said state police spokesman Sgt. J. Paul Vance.
Autopsies Wednesday showed both victims died of multiple stab wounds.
The discovery set off a hunt Wednesday with dog teams, all-terrain vehicles and an inflatable boat. Off-duty officers were called to the scene and state troopers from several barracks were aiding the investigation.
``It's startling,'' said resident Keith Mitchell, who said he often visits the park and was there Tuesday. ``I come here for peace and quiet to relax. It's not a place for anxiety and fear.''
The killings followed a slaying earlier in the week in New Milford, a town of 24,000 people. No arrests have been made in that case. Vance said there was ``absolutely no connection.''
Just when I thought I was as pissed off as I could be,(about the beheadings) this happens.