Tobago: Two-year-old missing since Monday, search intensifies islandwide

Trinidad and Tobago: The search for two-year-old Angelo Tobias Plaza has escalated into a major multi-agency operation as law enforcement authorities continue intensive land and sea searches amid conflicting reports which have been surrounding the toddler’s sudden disappearance in Tobago.

The child was reported missing on Monday night from a home along Cambridge Trace, Goodwood which immediately prompted response from police, residents as well as relatives who launched an overnight search throughout the community.

According to initial reports, Angelo’s mother and her boyfriend discovered the toddler missing around 7:30 p.m. after checking inside and around the house. The circumstances surrounding how the child disappeared remain unclear. Officers attached to the Tobago Division and the Divisional Task Force coordinated early search efforts.

The situation took a troubling turn on Tuesday after reports surfaced that a child’s body had allegedly been spotted in nearby waters. However, authorities have since been unable to confirm those claims.

As investigations intensified, additional resources were also called including officers from the Tobago and Region One Homicide Bureau of Investigations along with members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force (TTDF) to assist with ongoing search and recovery operations.

Speaking at the family’s Cambridge Trace home on Wednesday, Angelo’s mother said that fire officers later informed her that objects initially believed to be a body in the sea were actually logs. The revelation has added further uncertainty to the case with no confirmed sighting or recovery of the missing toddler as of Wednesday evening.

Residents of the Goodwood community have continued to actively participate in search efforts, although some have voiced concerns and skepticism over the circumstances surrounding the child’s disappearance. Questions have also been raised about possible negligence by his family members.

Angelo is described as light-skinned of mixed descent with a round face. He was reportedly wearing only a diaper at the time he disappeared. Police said that the investigations are still ongoing with search and recovery operations continuing across both land and sea.