Jun 26, 2009 12:44 pm US/Central
Babysitter, Boyfriend Charged In Toddler's Death
Body Believed To Be Missing Toddler Was Found In Rural Indiana
OTIS, Ind. (CBS) ―
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Jada Justice, 2
FBI Indianapolis
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Timothy Tkachik
Post Tribune
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Engelica Castillo
Post Tribune
The babysitter and boyfriend of a 2-year-old girl who was discovered dead this week have been charged in her murder, Lake County, Ind. prosecutors announced Friday.
Engelica Castillo, 18, of Hobart, and her boyfriend, Tim Tkachik, 23, of Hobart, each face a maximum of 65 years in prison if convicted of murder and related charges in the death of Jada Justice, who previously was reported as missing.
"This tragic ending is not the outcome we were all hoping for," Lake County Prosecutor Bernard A. Carter said in a statement. "My condolences to all the family and friends of this precious child."
Castillo and Tkachik are being held in the Lake County Jail without bond.
Jada's body was found around mid-afternoon Thursday in a rural area near Otis, Ind., which is located about 6 miles south of Michigan City in LaPorte County.
A source tells CBS 2's Pamela Jones that the body was found encased in concrete, in a plastic bin.
Jada was first reported missing on June 16 by Castillo, who said the girl was taken from her car when she stopped at a Gary gas station to buy milk and cigarettes.
Castillo claimed that when she returned, the little girl was gone.
But police had suspicions about the version of events stated by Castillo, and neither she nor Tkachik have been cooperative, police said.
Police say Castillo killed little Jada by beating her with her fists so severely that her skull was fractured multiple times.
Sources say the beating started over a soiled diaper. Castillo's boyfriend, who's also charged with murder, says Castillo became enraged when Jada wouldn't cry.
In an affidavit, Tim Tkachik is quoted as saying he "grabbed Engelica but she continued to strike Jada and continued to hit her harder when she wouldn't cry. He said that because Engelica wouldn't stop beating Jada he went to the other room to watch TV."
La Porte County Coroner John Sullivan said the more than four-hour autopsy was one of the most difficult he's ever been part of.
"I'm hoping that we are able to do some good for this poor little girl," he said. "It's been one of the most horrific cases I've ever worked, and I think probably a lot of the crime scene techs and detectives would agree with that," he said.
Jada's uncle and maternal grandmother were left with the difficult task of identifying her body.
After Jada died, she was placed in garbage bags, then Tkakchik attempted to burn her body but ended up severely burning his face. The couple then bought a blue tub, in which prosecutors say they placed Jada before filling it with concrete. Then they dumped it in the water.
Angie Balboa, a family friend, said after Thursday's press conference that "everybody kind of knew" that police were unlikely to find Justice alive. She said Castillo and Tkachik could have saved the family a great deal of grief by telling the truth when Justice first went missing.
"I'm so sorry for Jada Justice," Balboa said.
CBS 2's Pamela Jones and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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