The multi-day search for missing two-year-old Angelo Tobias Plaza in Tobago has entered a devastating new phase, after law enforcement officials received an anonymous tip via WhatsApp that the young boy’s body may have been dumped at the Studley Park landfill in the days following Mother’s Day. This development comes as the investigation into the toddler’s unexplained disappearance continues to unfold, gripping the entire nation of Trinidad and Tobago.
As of yesterday, the toddler’s 22-year-old mother Kalifah Tobias and her partner Shannon Miller, who is identified as Angelo’s stepfather, remained in police custody as detectives work to piece together the timeline of the child’s disappearance. Investigative efforts are being led by a cross-regional team of law enforcement, including officers from the Special Victims Department, the Homicide Bureau, and personnel from Trinidad, operating under the command of Assistant Commissioner of Police Rishi Singh.
Nisha Sookram-Loutan, an inspector and legal officer with the Special Victims Department assigned to the Tobago-based case, reaffirmed law enforcement’s unwavering commitment to the investigation in an interview with the *Express* on Thursday. “We are committed to pursuing every possible lead to bring this case to closure,” she stated, confirming the multi-unit structure of the investigative team.
Detectives are currently analyzing CCTV footage that captures Tobias and Miller near a Goodwood neighborhood supermarket just before 8 p.m. on the Monday Angelo was reported missing. The footage confirms the couple was alone at the time, with no sign of the toddler, a detail that has drawn additional scrutiny from investigators.
Following the new tip, large-scale coordinated search operations have been launched at the Studley Park landfill. Multiple agencies have joined the effort, including the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) which deployed its Unmanned Aerial Vehicle unit for aerial reconnaissance, and the volunteer Hunters Search and Rescue Team. Search teams are carrying out systematic sweeps of sections of the site, combining aerial surveys, on-foot ground searches, and evidence recovery work to locate any trace connected to the missing child.
Angelo was first reported missing last Monday, after relatives discovered he was unaccounted for at the family’s Goodwood home. Since that announcement, law enforcement and volunteer teams have carried out extensive land, sea, and air searches across multiple regions of Tobago, all launched in the hope of bringing the toddler home safely.
The case has sent profound shockwaves through the small island community, with Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Farley Augustine publicly addressing the widespread grief and anger surrounding the disappearance in a social media statement released yesterday. “This disappearance has shaken Tobago to its core. Every parent, every grandparent, every decent citizen feels the weight of this tragedy,” Augustine wrote. “Tobago is hurting, and we refuse to stay silent.”
Augustine shared that the case has weighed heavily on him since his first public remarks, noting that “All of last night this child was on my mind.” He acknowledged the extraordinary effort that ordinary citizens, first responders, and volunteers have put into the search effort over the past week, including fishermen, hunters, village residents, and protective service personnel who have combed every corner of the island for any sign of Angelo.
While he thanked all who have joined the search in solidarity with the child and his extended family, Augustine did not hold back on calling out the many unresolved questions surrounding the case. “Too many questions remain unanswered. The public outrage and heartbreak we are seeing across Tobago and Trinidad right now are completely justified. We have every right to be deeply angry about how this is unfolding and the unconvincing stories that are being circulated,” he said.
Augustine emphasized that the situation has left the national conscience deeply unsettled, and the public is demanding full accountability. “A two-year-old child does not simply vanish without explanation. Toddlers do not climb through ditches and cross rough terrain to reach the ocean in complete darkness,” he argued. “Tobago will not accept the disappearance of a child as a normal event.”
He called on every relevant national agency, including the TTPS, Homicide Bureau, and Child Protection Unit, to treat the investigation with the extreme urgency and seriousness it demands. “Leave no stone unturned. Every lead must be followed, every inconsistency must be examined, and every person with any information must cooperate fully with authorities,” Augustine said.
He went on to stress that any negligence or wrongdoing must be brought to light: “If there has been negligence, it must be exposed. If there has been criminal activity, those responsible must face prosecution. Anyone holding information needs to understand that silence in a case involving a child is completely unacceptable.”
Beyond the immediate investigation, Augustine said the tragedy must push Trinidad and Tobago as a society to reflect on our shared responsibility to protect children. “Too often, after these incidents, we move on too quickly. We cannot do that. Protecting children is not optional – it is a sacred responsibility,” he said. “Today, Tobago stands with Angelo. We stand with the people of Goodwood crying out for justice. We stand with every citizen demanding the truth. We hold onto the belief that this child matters. A nation is judged by how it protects its most vulnerable members. There can be no peace, no comfort, and no closure until we get answers.”
