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Landfill search begins to recover missing 13-month-old Silas Ojeda's body in Weld County

Posted at 10:18 AM, Nov 01, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-01 20:08:24-04

WELD COUNTY, Colo. -- After four days of moving equipment, obtaining permits and following other leads, authorities have begun to search a Weld County landfill for a missing 13-month-old boy believed to be dead.

The boy, Silas Ojeda, was reported missing by his grandfather one week ago, on Wednesday, Oct. 26.

After interviewing several people, deputies said the boy is believed to be dead and deputies arrested the boy's mother's boyfriend, Logan Rogers. Rogers is charged with manslaughter and child endangering.

MORE | Man charged in Silas Ojeda's death says boy got high on secondhand meth smoke, fell & died

Rogers has told authorities multiple stories about what happened to Ojeda, including that he wrapped the boy's body in a white comforter and left him in a Dumpster near Larimer County Community College, according to the arrest affidavit obtained by Denver7.

Wyoming officials said the dumpster was taken to a landfill in Ault, Colorado.

Tuesday morning, authorities from the Laramie County [Wyoming] Sheriff's Office were joined in their recovery effrot by the Weld County [Colorado] Sheriff's Office, F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Laramie County Emergency Management, the 84th Civil Support Team [Wyoming National Guard], Laramie County Road and Bridge, Laramie County Fire District, the Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

Captain Linda Gesell with the Laramie County Sheriff's Office said the process will be painstaking, but it is necessary to bring justice to the little boy.

"It's basically a lucky chance that we're going to find anything, but we have to try," authorities said Tuesday.

Authorities believe they have the site narrowed down to a specific "newer" area of the dump, where investigators will have to search through approximately 200,000 pounds of garbage.

About 40 people are expected to at the landfill each day during the search. Officials said the search will take some time and authorities will re-evaluate the situation after a couple weeks.

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