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Missing Indiana Mom Found Murdered In Her Car Next To Her Baby, Who Survived
Alexis Morales, who was reported missing after telling friends she was headed home from South Bend, Indiana last week, was found murdered inside her SUV on Tuesday. Her infant son, Messiah Morales, was found with her but alive.
An Indiana woman who, along with her son, was reported missing last week has been found murdered inside her SUV. Her infant son was found alive.
Alexis Morales, 27, was found dead inside her car on Tuesday evening, the South Bend Police Department announced in a press release. Her son Messiah Morales was found alive and near her body. He was not injured and was transported to a hospital for observation.
The slain mother was last seen on April 12 at around 7 p.m. as she was leaving Kelly Park in South Bend with her son in a silver 2006 BMW X5 SUV, the Elkhart County Sheriff's Office said in a press release.
"Alexis Morales told friends she was going back to her residence in New Paris, Indiana," the sheriff's office stated; New Paris is in Elkhart County, about 33 miles from where she was last seen.
The pair were reported missing the following day.
A Silver Alert was issued for the Moraleses on Monday, after nearly a week without any information.
Police in South Bend were then called to an area west of downtown on Tuesday evening after there were “possible sightings of a vehicle connected to a recent Silver Alert issued out of Elkhart County.” The Moraleses were found on a residential block 3.5 miles west from where they were last seen; New Paris, on the other hand, is southeast of South Bend.
The South Bend Police Department is now working with the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office to “investigate the circumstances surrounding Alexis Morales’ death and her prior disappearance.”
On Wednesday, police said that the child "is in stable condition at the hospital and is with family."
Police are describing the case as an “ongoing investigation.” While it's not yet clear how she died, an autopsy is scheduled for Friday, and police say her death is "being treated as a homicide."
The South Bend police said on Wednesday that the "Violent Crimes Unit has interviewed several individuals" regarding the slain mother.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the South Bend Police Department Detective Bureau at 574-235-9263 or Michiana Crime Stoppers at 574-288-STOP.
