Serbian authorities continue to search for the body of the toddler Danka Ilic, who was reported missing last month.
ADVERTISEMENTA 2-year-old Serbian girl whose disappearance last month gripped the nation died after being hit by a car and her body was dumped in a landfill by the people in the vehicle, police said on Thursday.
Police have arrested two men suspected of hitting Danka Ilic with their vehicle when she walked out of a yard in the eastern town of Bor, Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic said.
The two suspects are employees of the local state waterworks company and were on assignment when they hit the girl with their car, Gasic said.
According to the statement, the suspects picked up the girl’s body, placed it in the trunk where they kept their tools and drove to a landfill where they dumped the body. They are facing charges of grave murder.
The suspects admitted committing the crime, police said in a statement.
The girl was first reported missing on March 26, prompting police to launch a national appeal for assistance and circulate her photograph.
“The girl’s father stopped them in his car and asked if they saw the girl, and they said no,” Gasic said. “One of the men later even joined the search,” he added.
Authorities continue to search for the girl's body. Gasic mentioned that the men likely relocated it to a different area.
Hundreds of disappearances are reported annually in Serbia, including children who run away from their homes and abductions.