(Reuters) – New York authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with serial killings more than a decade ago that targeted sex workers and others whose bodies were strewn along a Long Island beach, NBC reported on Friday, citing sources it did not identify.
Eleven sets of human remains were found in 2010 and 2011 along an isolated stretch of Gilgo Beach on an Atlantic barrier island about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of New York City. The killings drew national attention.
Suffolk County authorities said in a statement they would hold a press conference later on Friday to announce “a significant development” in the investigation.
Citing a law enforcement official and two government officials, NBC reported that the suspect was from the Long island town of Massapequa, a 20-minute drive from Gilgo Beach.
The suspect was expected to appear on Friday in a court in the town of Riverhead in Suffolk County, Fox News reported.
Some bodies were found wrapped in burlap sacks, and five of the victims were identified as missing prostitutes who had advertised for clients online, including on Craigslist, police have said.
The remains were linked to nine women, one man and a toddler girl. Police have said that one person might be responsible for all the murders.
Suffolk County police and the office of District Attorney Raymond Tierney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Howard Goller)
