Father charged with murder in South Jersey toddler’s death

Prosecutors announced Monday that a Haddon Township man has been charged with murder for the death of his 3-year-old son, found dead in a wooded area in October.

David “DJ” Creato, 22, was charged in an indictment returned by a Camden County grand jury Monday, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office announced.

Creato, who was taken into custody at 2:15 p.m. in Washington Township and is now being held at Camden County Jail, is charged with first degree murder — meaning the grand jury believes the murder was a premeditated act –and second degree endangering the welfare of a child, prosecutors announced.

D.J. Creato called 911 around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13 to report his son missing.

“The door was locked,” Creato saidin a recording of the call. “I guess he unlocked it and left.”

The toddler was found dead three hours later in Cooper River Park, a wooded area of Haddown Township, N.J.. He was located that morning by a K-9 unit from the Delaware River Port Authority.

At the time the investigation was underway, prosecutors announced that there were no signs of forced entry at the Creato homeor sexual assault.

Creato’s lawyer told the Inquirer in October that his client was interviewed by police and was not considered a suspect, but that situation has obviously changed.

Creato is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday.