SUV Found On Cape May Beach Linked To PA Boy's Death: Officials

CAPE MAY, NJ — A SUV that was found partially submerged in the water in Cape May Tuesday morning is linked to the death of an 11-year-old Pennsylvania boy, officials said.

The boy's father, Daniel Whitehead, found his son dead in their Montgomery County house at about 7 a.m. on April 11, the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said.

The boy was in the bed of the master bedroom where he had spent the night with his mother, Ruth DiRienzo Whitehead, officials said.

Whitehead told police that when he woke up, he noticed that the master bedroom was locked and his wife's black Toyota Highlander was missing from the garage, officials said.

When police were in the house, the SUV was found partially submerged in the ocean just off Beach Avenue in Cape May, officials said.

Shortly after, DiRienzo Whitehead was found alive by Wildwood Crest police, according to officials. She was questioned by detectives, but no further information was immediately available.

The boy's cause of death is pending an autopsy, officials said. No charges have been filed.