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NYPD Officer Under Investigation Found Dead In Hampton Bays Tuesday

authorKelly Zegers on Jun 8, 2016

UPDATE: Thursday, 11:45 a.m.

Although police said Wednesday that the officer was found in a wooded area in Riverside, police confirmed Thursday that the officer's body was found in a wooded area behind a McDonald's in Hampton Bays.

Original Story

An off-duty New York Police Department officer who was the suspect in the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl in Brooklyn was found dead Tuesday night after apparently hanging himself in a wooded area in Riverside, according to Southampton Town Police.

The suspect, Ronald Cleto, 32, had fled Brooklyn after the NYPD began investigating the reported abuse at 12:05 a.m. Friday after the girl's mother called 911.

Mr. Cleto had not been heard from until his body was found. Town police received a call at approximately 12:45 p.m. Tuesday and found the officer to be dead on arrival.

The NYPD would not provide additional information about the ongoing investigation into the reported abuse.

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