A missing New Mexico infant has been found and a suspect in her disappearance is in custody, FBI says
Originally Published: 06 MAY 24 07:06 ET
Updated: 06 MAY 24 09:23 ET
By Paradise Afshar, CNN
(CNN) — A 10-month-girl police said was abducted Friday from a New Mexico park where her mother and another woman were discovered dead has been found and a suspect is in custody, the FBI announced Monday morning.
The bureau did not provide further details on Eleia Maria Torres’ condition and the suspect was not immediately named.
Eleia’s 5-year-old sister was also found injured at the park and is recovering, police said Sunday.
Investigators discovered the infant was missing after responding to a call shortly before 4:30 p.m. Friday about two women found dead at the park near Covis, a city in eastern New Mexico that is more than 200 miles east of Albuquerque and about 100 miles southwest of Amarillo, Texas.
The women, both 23, were found with “apparent gunshot wounds” on the ground near a minivan, the police statement said.
They were identified by investigators as Samantha Cisneros, Eleia’s mother, and Taryn Allen.
The 5-year-old was found “suffering from an injury to her head,” police said, and was rushed to a hospital for treatment.
The fathers of both children have been working with the investigation team, police said at a news conference Sunday.
At the scene, officers also discovered “an infant car seat, an infant stroller and a small baby bottle at the scene,” and began searching for a young child, police said.
“Through interviews with family members, investigators learned Samantha Cisneros was the mother to the young female child found at the scene and was also the mother to a 10-month-old child, Eleia Maria Torres,” the news release said.
The FBI helped local police with the investigation.
“I promise that the FBI will be with Clovis until we find Eleia, and we find the individual or individuals responsible for these horrific acts,” Raul Bujanda, special agent in charge of the FBI Albuquerque Division, said during the Sunday news conference.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN’s Christine Sever contributed to this report.
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