BUFFALO, N.Y. – Nearly a year ago, a 3-year-old Florida boy was found sleeping alone on a porch not far from where his parents’ bodies were found in a burning vehicle. Now, federal prosecutors say they’ve arrested the men who killed the boy’s parents and stole drugs from them.
The boy named Noelvyn, who is from the Orlando area, was found on Sept. 16 after having traveled to the Buffalo area with his parents, 24-year-old Nicole Merced Plaud and 31-year-old Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon, and family friend Dhamyl Mirella Roman-Audiffred, 29.
At the time, all three were considered missing.
Then in November, authorities announced that Plaud’s and Valentin-Colon’s bodies were in the burned out van located not far from where the boy was sleeping.
Roman-Audiffred was still considered missing but in a federal indictment on Tuesday, prosecutors said that his body was found mutilated and burned.
According to a news release, Jariel Cobb, 47, and Deandre Wilson, 49, committed the murders sometime between Sept. 15 and Sept. 16 “while engaged in a narcotics conspiracy” then stole cocaine, cellphones and a white Chrysler Pacifica minivan from the three victims.
Then, the men are accused of teaming up with 38-year-old James Reed to burn the bodies.
“For the families of Miguel, Nicole, and Dhamyl, we hope that the charges announced today will ease some of your suffering,” said Stephen Belongia, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo office. “And to gang members and other violent criminals, if you choose to live a life fueled by greed and violence, you should know that the FBI and our law enforcement partners stand ready to do everything in our power to ensure you are held accountable for your crimes. While we can’t bring back Miguel, Nicole, and Dhamyl, we hope it brings the families some bit of peace to know that the Western New York law enforcement community came together and threw everything we had at this investigation.”
The process is underway to determine whether Cobb and Wilson will face the death penalty.
Three other arrests have been made of suspects prosecutors say are connected to the narcotics conspiracy operation that led to the three deaths. They are Jahaan McDuffie, Destenee Bell and Deshema Clark.
Their charges include narcotics conspiracy, distribution of heroin, cocaine and marijuana, maintaining a drug-involved premises, murder while engaged in a narcotics conspiracy and obstructing justice.
Last year, The Buffalo News reported that 4.4. pounds of cocaine was found inside a cooler, along with a second empty cooler, in the hotel room near Buffalo Niagara International Airport where Merced-Plaud, Valentin-Colon, Roman-Audiffred and the 3-year-old had been staying.
Noelvyn has since returned to Central Florida after his grandmother was granted custody.