LYNN – Members of the Lynn police and state police, in their efforts to locate 5-year-old Giovanni Gonzalez, have been searching Pine Grove Cemetery most of the day Monday using K-9 cadaver dogs.
Despite the use of cadaver dogs, a member of the state police team said the mission continues to be a search and rescue mission, rather than a recovery mission.
The team member said they are just continuing and broadening their efforts and are not acting on any new information.
State Police Detective Lt. Elaine Gill said the search effort at the cemetery was being used to rule out possible locations the boy could be.
“We are just trying to cover all the bases,” Gill said. “When you have a missing child you follow every lead and try to cover a good area.”
Gonzalez was reported missing Aug. 17 after his mother, Daisy Colon of East Boston, went to retrieve him from a scheduled visitation at his father’s 2 Brightwood Terrace apartment.
The boy’s father, Ernesto Gonzalez, 36, said he did not have the boy, despite reports that the two were seen playing ball together on Aug. 16. Gonzalez has refused to cooperate with police and was charged with child endangerment. He is being held on $500,000 cash bail.
On Friday, the Item reported that authorities discovered a bloody mop inside Gonzalez’ apartment, along with a bottle of pine cleaner with blood on it. Gonzalez had a laceration to his left hand, which he has refused to explain to police.