Sept. 07--Chicago police found a child's body parts in Garfield Park Lagoon on Saturday afternoon.
A foot was found about 4:40 p.m. in the lagoon off the 200 block of McCrea Drive in Garfield Park, in the area of the Garfield Park Lagoon, authorities said.
Police later found a right foot, right hand and left hand toward the north end of the lagoon about 25 yards away. A 20-pound weight was found nearby, authorities said.
The limbs were in an advanced state of decomposition and not clothed, authorities said.
Someone called 911 to report a foot floating in the lagoon Saturday afternoon. It turned out to be the left foot of a toddler, according to authorities.
Chicago police detectives, the marine unit and K-9 were back at the lagoon Sunday morning. Investigators in waist-deep, mucky water searched the edges of the water, lifting logs and fallen branches. A police dog sniffed the shoreline, at one point plunging into the water.
It was unclear if police had recovered any additional body parts or evidence at the scene. Police did haul several items from the water, but they appeared to be machinery or tools. Other officers gathered evidence from the shore.
Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th, said the recovered body parts belong to a child likely 2 to 4 years old of unknown gender.
Police set up a mobile command center on the eastern edge of the water.
The portion of the park near the northwest corner of the lagoon, along Hamlin Boulevard between Lake and Washington, was closed. Police tape fluttered in the breeze as TV cameramen recorded the recovery efforts.
Several members of the community arrived at the park, including Perry Starks, a member of the Garfield Park Advisory Council. Starks heard about the search Sunday morning after arriving at his mother's house adjacent to the park.
Starks said bodies have been found in the park over the years, but this discovery is particularly sad.
Starks said the park overall is a great place, but it does have issues, mainly people who linger in unlit, tree-sheltered areas to sell or buy drugs, engage in sex acts or sleep for the night. No one is allowed to park their vehicle in the park from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m, a rule put in place after some groups of people caused problems.
A recent upgrade to park infrastructure, including to the fieldhouse on the lagoon and some of the roads and trails, has helped, but Starks said more lighting is still needed.
"It wouldn't surprise me that someone would dump that there and no one would see them," Starks said.
Ervin, who has been talking with the police district commander, said he does not know how long the body parts may have been in the lagoon. The alderman also said he has not heard of any area missing children reports.
"This is unthinkable," Ervin said. "To dismember a child and throw it into the lagoon, this just hurts.
"Garfield Park is the jewel of the West Side, and for someone to bring this type of nonsense to this park is unfortunate," the alderman said.
He said the park remains relatively safe and hopes people can still enjoy the remainder of the holiday weekend in other sections of the park.
"This park is a work in progress," Ervin said.
Chicago Tribune reporter Rosemary Regina Sobol contributed.
