Eyewitness NewsNEW YORK (WABC) -- A New Jersey man being interviewed by detectives as part of the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz claims he lured and strangled the child 33 years ago. Detectives who are questioning Pedro Hernandez are cautiously optimistic he is linked to Patz' disappearance in 1979, but they are not yet ready to charge him. A law enforcement official says he has implicated himself and has been tied to the case in the past.
Hernandez, who was picked up at his Camden area home Wednesday, reportedly says he strangled Patz and put his body in a box to dispose of it. Prosecutors are attempting to verify if it's possible that his claims match the known fact pattern.One source has said that some of the suspect's statements contradict known facts, but adds that is not a reason to discount the bulk of his remarks.
Hernandez is being questioned in Lower Manhattan by NYPD detectives and investigators with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
He was in his 20s or 30s at the time of the disappearance and had a connection to the SoHo neighborhood where Patz vanished as he walked to the school bus. He says he was working in a bodega at the time.
There was an exhaustive search by the police and a crush of media attention. The boy's photo was one of the first of a missing child on a milk carton. Thousands of fliers were plastered around the city, buildings were canvassed and hundreds of people were interviewed. Now, police may have the break they have desperately searched for.
"An individual now in custody has made statements to NYPD detectives implicating himself in the disappearance and death of Etan Patz 33 years ago," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said in a statement. "We expect to provide further details later today."
Last month, investigators dug up a SoHo basement for possible Patz remains. After a four-day search, they announced nothing conclusive was found, including any skeletal or human remains. Officials say the man in custody was not linked to the basement search.
Friday is the anniversary of the boy's disappearance, when detectives traditionally receive a landslide of hoaxes and false leads related to the case.
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