Father took his own life after allegedly killing toddler whose body was found in recycling facility

FREMONT, Calif. (TCN) -- A 42-year-old father who reportedly took his own life has been identified as a suspect in the death of his 3-year-old daughter.

According to the Fremont Police Department, Ellie Lorenzo’s mother reported her daughter missing on July 12. The mother reportedly said the young girl was supposed to be returned to her during a custody exchange that night.

Ellie Lorenzo was last seen alive on the evening of July 11 with her father, Jared Lorenzo, San Jose Police said in a news release.

Further investigation revealed Jared Lorenzo allegedly left his apartment on July 12 at approximately 6 a.m. with his daughter’s body. He reportedly drove to San Jose and removed Ellie Lorenzo’s remains from the trunk and placed them in a trash bin.

According to San Jose Police, a garbage company emptied the receptacle not knowing about the body, and the trash was transferred to a recycling facility.

San Jose Police determined Lorenzo drove around the area, and he was later found dead in San Francisco around 11 a.m. Investigators believe Lorenzo committed suicide by jumping off a building, KTVU-TV reports.

The next day, on July 13, San Jose Police responded to the recycling facility, where an employee found a body. Authorities said the deceased 3-year-old matched the description of Ellie Lorenzo, who Fremont Police had been searching for.

The Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office positively identified the victim as Ellie Lorenzo on July 15, and San Jose Police named her father as a suspect the following day.