A family member of a teen who was found dead in Wallingford earlier this month has admitted to killing him, according to police.
Authorities said 21-year-old David Diaz Perez admitted in an interview Monday to killing his nephew, 17-year-old Nolvin Diaz. Police said Perez provided details about the crime that were not publicly known and showed them where the crime took place.
According to police, Perez said he killed Diaz on April 23 behind the senior center. On May 2, he went back and dragged the body into the water. He also tried to weigh it down. The motive is not clear at this time.
Investigators said Diaz had suffered numerous injuries to his head and face and had his own belt tied around his neck. There was also an attempt to submerge the body in the lake, police added.
Diaz died of blunt and sharp injuries of the head and neck, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. He also had ligature marks around his neck.
The Medical Examiner ruled Diaz's death a homicide caused by blunt injury to the head, sharp force injury to the face and ligature strangulation.
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Diaz had been reported missing on April 25 and was last seen around 8 p.m. on April 23, when he left home alone, according to a Silver Alert.
The missing person investigation revealed that Diaz had few friends and didn't socialize much outside of his family. Investigators also learned his phone had been turned off, police added.
Perez was arrested on Monday night and is facing a murder charge. He is being held on $2 million bond and is expected in court on Wednesday.
