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2 children's bodies found in South Florida canal

Police say they have recovered the bodies of two children in a Florida canal, one stuffed in a duffel bag, the other in suitcase.
/ Source: The Associated Press

The bodies of two children — one stuffed in a suitcase, the other in a duffel bug — were found Wednesday in a South Florida canal and police divers planned to go back to find more clues, authorities said.

A resident spotted the duffel bag around 9 a.m. in Delray Beach, and police opened it to find a girl believed to be 6 to 10 years old. Divers found a boy later in the afternoon a half-mile away.

"These kids could be from anywhere," said Sgt. Nicole Guerriero, a police spokeswoman. She noted the canal is crossed by a number of major roadways, including Interstate 95.

The girl was described as black, weighing 70 to 90 pounds, and about 4 to 4½ feet tall. She was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, dark pants and blue Polo brand sneakers, and wore her hair braided with beads in it, Guerriero said.

Police said the boy, black and between ages 10 and 12, was wearing blue or black shorts and no shirt, but gave no further description. Detectives presume the two bodies are linked, but have no definitive evidence, Guerriero said.

Authorities reported no immediate signs of injuries on the bodies, but they were transported to the medical examiner's office for autopsies. The bodies did not immediately match the descriptions of any known missing children, police said.

Divers planned to return to the canal Thursday to look for more clues.

Delray Beach is a prim oceanside city about 20 miles southeast of West Palm Beach.