JOHNSTON, R.I. — The 2-year-old boy kidnapped during a double homicide this morning was found wandering the streets of Providence tonight, apparently unharmed, according to Johnston police.

Isaiah Perez had been the subject of a wide-ranging hunt by federal, state, and local officials after he went missing from the scene of the killings of two unidentified people in the quiet Providence suburb of Johnston.

Two suspects were taken into custody in connection with the case and could appear in a Providence court as soon as Monday morning, said Johnston Police Deputy Chief Daniel Parrillo.

Parrillo said a Providence officer on patrol noticed an unattended toddler near the Chad Brown housing developments around 8:30 p.m. Parrillo said police are unsure how the boy ended up there or how he spent the nearly 16 hours between his kidnapping and eventual discovery. Isaiah was being evaluated at the Hasbro Children’s Hospital in Providence as a precaution, Parrillo said.


“He appears to be in good health as of right now,’’ Parrillo said. “His family is going down there to be with him… I think he’s had a long day.’’

Malcolm W. Crowell, 22, was detained at his workplace in Fall River, Mass., early this afternoon, Parrillo said in a press conference at the Johnston Police Department. Later this afternoon, police in Providence arrested Daniel Rodriguez at a residence there. Parrillo said Rodriguez was born in 1985, but was unsure of his exact age.

Police did not say where the men were from or release any other details about them, but Parrillo said they were suspects in the homicides and the kidnapping.

Many questions about the case remain unanswered, including the identity of the victims and their relationship, if any, with the suspects, as well as how they died. Details given by officials fluctuated throughout the day; at one point, Crowell’s name and picture were removed from the Amber Alert website before police announced the boy was still missing.

The incident began with a 911 call at 5:20 this morning reporting a disturbance at 3 Oaktree Drive in Johnston.

When police arrived, they discovered two bodies on the floor, along with two older children who were physically unharmed. The victims’ identities will not be released until an examination by the medical examiner is complete, Parrillo said.


The home, a recently renovated two-story building with a well-kept lawn, is located in a forested suburban neighborhood abutting a lake. It was surrounded by yellow police tape today. Members of a Johnston police crime scene unit searched for evidence, including dusting for fingerprints on a deck railing near a small window that had been knocked off its extending arm.

Several neighbors who declined to give their names said they would occasionally see children playing basketball in the driveway at the home, but the family kept mostly to themselves. They described the area as quiet and safe, with little police activity.