The 11-day search for a missing two-year-old boy from Tobago has entered a critical phase, with investigators securing new video evidence and a shocking confession that has left a small coastal community reeling in grief.
Angelo Tobias-Plaza, who was last seen from his home in the village of Goodwood on the night of May 11, remains unfound as law enforcement and volunteer search teams comb the island’s coastline and surrounding areas for answers. In the latest development in the high-profile case, investigators have obtained closed-circuit television footage collected from a private Goodwood residence, which they believe could shed new light on the movements of a suspect tied to the toddler’s disappearance. The footage captures a vehicle that authorities suspect was used by the person of interest in the hours immediately surrounding Angelo’s vanishing, and forensic teams are now meticulously reviewing the recording to map out movement patterns in and around the village on that fateful night.
As the investigation advances, a key person connected to the case has returned to the island to cooperate with authorities. Angelo’s landlady, who was traveling abroad in Canada when the child went missing, flew back to Tobago overnight following updates on the probe. She is scheduled to sit down with investigators this week to share details about the property and any connections to persons of interest that may assist the inquiry.
The case took a dramatic, chilling turn over the weekend, when one of seven detainees held in connection with the disappearance allegedly confessed to killing the toddler and disposing of his body in the Caribbean Sea off Goodwood Bay. According to official police sources, the suspect told interrogators that he strangled Angelo before dumping the small child’s remains in the nearby coastal waters.
Following the alleged confession, search teams immediately redeployed to Goodwood Bay, and investigators returned to the rented Goodwood home shared by Angelo’s mother Kalifa Tobias and stepfather at Cambridge Trace. Authorities had planned to bring the self-confessed suspect out to map out key locations tied to the crime, but the plan was derailed after the suspect reported feeling unwell. He was quickly transported to the Accident and Emergency Department of Scarborough General Hospital for medical evaluation and treatment, halting the on-site location identification process.
To date, seven people—three women and four men—remain in police custody as investigators piece together what happened to the toddler. Over the weekend, Tobias was also brought back to the family’s rented property by investigators; dressed in a standard crime scene protective suit, she walked officers through key areas of the home and surrounding land before being escorted from the premises.
Since Angelo was reported missing 11 days ago, large-scale search operations have been carried out across multiple sites in Tobago, including Goodwood Bay, the Studley Park Landfill, and Pig Farm Road in nearby Goldsborough. Teams have also followed up on every tip from the public: just days ago, a local resident reported spotting a suspicious black bag wedged in a cliff face off Pig Farm Road. Members of the Hunters Search and Rescue Team, a volunteer group that has supported the probe from the start, abseiled down the precipice to retrieve the bag, only to find its contents had no connection to the missing toddler case.
The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) has confirmed that the investigation has reached a “critical turn”, with multiple specialized units working around the clock to secure a conclusive outcome. Assistant Commissioner of Police Rishi Singh said in a recent statement that the entire investigative team remains committed to reaching “a clear and definitive outcome” for the family and the community. The sprawling probe draws resources from across the TTPS, including the Special Victims Department, Tobago Division Gang Unit, Homicide Bureau of Investigations, Tobago Divisional Task Force, Canine Unit, and Criminal Records Office, with additional logistical and operational support from the Tobago Emergency Management Agency and the Hunters Search and Rescue Team. Officials have noted that the investigation remains sensitive and ongoing, declining to share further details that could compromise the process.
As the search drags on without finding the toddler, the tight-knit community of Goodwood and surrounding areas is being consumed by anxiety and collective grief. Local residents have continued to hold public prayer vigils this week, coming together to pray for answers and comfort for Angelo’s family.
Chandra Jerry, a resident of nearby Pembroke, broke down in tears while speaking to reporters at Goodwood Bay this week. “I want to see the baby come out so that I could feel good in my spirit,” she said. “We really want answers to this, and the only answer is to see the baby alive or dead to give us comfort.”
Eighty-seven-year-old Agnes Alleyne, a lifelong Goodwood resident, said the community would take years to recover from the shocking tragedy. “It’s a very sad situation right now because I have never seen such a thing in my life,” Alleyne said. “When I heard that this boy confess, it hurt me very much.” As of last night, Angelo Tobias-Plaza has still not been located, and search operations are set to resume at first light this week.