KMPH Fox 26 Central San Joaquin Valley News Source in Fresno, California Entertainment, News, Sports and Weather | Mendota Mourns Murder of 4-Year-Old Boy
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By: Ashley Ritchie
Mendota, CA- In a community that's been plagued with bad news, the town of Mendota has been hit once again.
"I felt bad because as a mother, if this happened to me, I think I would die," Griselda Cervantes said.
Cervantes lives next door to where four-year-old Alex Mercado's body was found Saturday.
Fresno County Sheriff's Deputies say, after searching the area for hours, one deputy asked to search the home of Mercado's neighbors.
"During the search of that house, the body of Alex Mercado was found inside a clothes dryer of this residence," Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims said.
Not long after the gruesome discovery, deputies had a suspect in custody; the 14-year-old boy who lived at the home.
"We believe it was not an accident and that's why we've made an arrest in this case," Mims said.
Sheriff Mims says the suspect placed four-year-old Alex in the dryer after he allegedly killed him.
Cervantes had to explain to her son what happened to his friend.
"He was his friend and when he disappeared, he asked where's Alex? Where's Alex? Then when I found out what happened, I told him what happened. And he said; get him out of there because he's crying," Cervantes said.
Sheriff's deputies say they believe they know the cause of death, but they're waiting for autopsy results to confirm it.
For now, they're trying to reassure parents in this small town.
"The community is not in danger; the children are not in danger of this teenage boy. He is in custody. He's going to jail," Mims said.
A makeshift memorial now sits in front of the place Alex Mercado played just days earlier.
It's a somber reminder of the sadness surrounding this community.
The suspect in this case faces murder charges.
Sheriff's deputies say, because of his age, they're not releasing his name.
But he was not related to Mercado.
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