New Jersey

Duo Dumps Teen's Body in New Jersey Woods After She Dies at 1 Man's Home: Police

Two men stand accused of dumping a missing South Jersey teenager's body in a rural area of Salem County.

Danyelle Minerva, of Atco, had been missing since October before tree trimmers found her body on Jan. 11 off Woodstown-Alloway Road in Alloway Township.

State Police arrested Jose Sosa-Ayala, 40, and Jose Felix-Sosa, 45, on Thursday and charged the men with disposing of Minerva's body. [[365351821, C]]

Minerva died while at Sosa-Ayala's Bridgeton home in October, said police. After finding the 19-year-old dead, the men loaded her into Sosa-Ayala's 2005 Toyota Tundra and dumped her in the woods, said police.

The investigation into how Minerva died remained ongoing -- there were no obvious signs of trauma to the body. But, earlier, police said her death was being investigated as suspicious.

Her family and friends say on a Facebook page set up to find her that she hadn't been seen since Oct. 15. The page shared news of her death Tuesday night. [[365294811, C]]

Both Bridgeton men were sent to Salem County Jail on conspiracy, desecration of human remains and endangerment charges unable to post bails of $600,000 for Sosa-Ayala and $500,000 for Felix-Sosa.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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