WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Winston-Salem Police confirm an 18-year-old's body was found in a wooded area on Wednesday morning after investigators searched much of Tuesday night.
The teenager was identified as Eneas Bustos-Rojas. Bustos-Rojas was found near Skyline Village Apartments on Timlic Avenue.
TIMELINE
- Police say Rojas' family reported him missing Sunday night leading into Monday morning, around midnight
- Investigators got a tip that a body was in the wooded area behind Timlic Avenue, apartment building #9
- WSPD officers and forensic units searched the wooded area starting around 10 p.m. Tuesday night
- Rojas' body was removed from the woods 4 a.m. Wednesday
- At the time, Rojas was a 'John Doe.' He was identified Wednesday afternoon
Friends say Rojas had just celebrated his 18th birthday last weekend, and there was a party for him in the neighborhood with friends and family.
A family friend said he was 'laughing and happy' on Saturday, one day before his family reported him missing.
Some people WFMY News 2 spoke with in the community said they heard gunshots the night he went missing, but Police are not yet revealing a cause of death.
Friends, family, and even strangers were seen holding an impromptu prayer vigil for Rojas on Wednesday with a mission group from South Carolina.
Police say Rojas' autopsy is scheduled for Thursday. They're waiting on the results before releasing any more information.
"When they brought his body up {from the woods}, the first thing that came to mind was 'wow, this is somebody's child,'" Neighbor Labriant Johnson said.
Rojas' family didn't want to speak on camera, but shared that he loved basketball and was a good kid.
Anyone with information should call Winston-Salem Police at (336) 773-7700 or CrimeStoppers at (336) 727-2800 (En Español (336) 728-3904).
18-Year-Old Found Dead in Winston-Salem
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