45°
New York and Stamford police are searching for Elmer Gomez Ruano, 32, who was last seen Monday morning on video entering the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal with the couple's 5-year-old daughter. He abandoned the girl there, and she was later taken into the care of New York City Police.
Police were able to get enough information from her to lead them to the Courtland Avenue apartment where her mother was found dead inside a third-floor apartment late Monday morning.
Lt. Thomas Barcello said the girl is being cared for by Connecticut's Department of Children and Families and said police have yet to speak with her. He said as of Sunday, the girl didn't know that her mother was dead.
"We're concerned about the child's emotional state. We are trying to tread there delicately," he said. "She's holding up OK right now, but that's right now. We're dealing with a 5- or 6-year-old child, so we want to tread gingerly. She just lost her mother and she doesn't even know it yet.
"And I don't even know if she can understand the concept of permanency, where mommy is not ever coming back. We are very concerned with the child's mental well being also. She's already going to have trauma for life and it's to limit the impact of it," he said.
Barcello said the couple were married in Guatemala in 2008 and the husband is believed to have moved to the United States a couple of years ago. He had been living in Stamford for under a year, police said. The wife is believed to have moved to New Jersey with their child less than a year ago, Barcello said.
The couple had been separated but had reunited and had moved into the Stamford apartment on Sunday afternoon, he said.
NBC Connecticut identified the deceased mother as 24-year-old Dionicia Bautista-Cano.
Police are trying to narrow down the time of her death.
"For our own investigation, we are trying to shrink that time down," he said.
Ruano is described as 5-foot8, and weighing about 140 pounds. He has long black hair, a medium complexion and a medium build.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call police investigators at 203-977-4421.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Stamford and receive free news updates.
