Mediaboss Marketing

RAW VIDEO: The search continues Monday afternoon for Elibit Mena, 18, who was last seen Sunday evening at Lake Shenandoah county park in Lakewood. THOMAS P. COSTELLO

Lakewood Chaveirum volunteers gather along South Clover Avenue Monday afternoon, January 30, 2017, to join in the search for Elibit Mena, 18, who reportedly headed to Lake Shenandoah County Park and was last seen Sunday evening.(Photo: THOMAS P. COSTELLO)Buy Photo

LAKEWOOD - The body found in a wooded area off Arlington Avenue Feb. 1has been positively identified as that of missing Lakewood teen Eliabit Mena, and his death has been ruled a homicide, authorities said.

Authorities did not say how Mena was killed.

Mena, 18,was last heard fromJan. 29after he reportedly headed to Lake Shenandoah County Park to meet friends,police said around the time of his disappearance. A day later, Lakewood police, State Police and emergency management teams gathered at the park to scour the grounds for any trace of Mena, to no avail.

On Feb. 1, around 2:15 p.m., a woman walking her dog around Arlington Avenue called police and reported a man lying on the ground,said Lt. Gregory Staffordsmith of the Lakewood Township Police Department.

READ: Authorities continue search for missing Lakewood teen

Al Della Fave, a spokesperson for the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, said in a statement that theOcean County Medical Examiner had identified the body as Mena's.

The body of 18-year-old Eliabit Mena, of Lakewood, was found in a wooded area off Arlington Avenue in Lakewood Feb. 1. Authorities said Mena's death is being treated as a homicide.(Photo: Ocean County Prosecutor's Office)

On the day Mena disappeared, Mena's mother grew concerned when she didn't hear from her son and went to thepark herself, where she found Eliabit Mena's unoccupied car parked in a lot on South Clover Street, which is near the park, Staffordsmith said.

READ: Body found in woods may be Lakewood teen

Lakewood police previously misspelled Mena's first name as "Elibit." Della Favecorrected the spellingto read "Eliabit" on Tuesday.

Family and friends Elibit Mena, 18, gather along South Clover Avenue Monday afternoon, January 30, 2017, as Lakewood Chaveirum volunteers prepare to head out on a search for the missing man who was last scene at Lake Shenandoah County Park Sunday evening.(Photo: THOMAS P. COSTELLO)

The Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and the Lakewood Township Police Department are actively investigating the slaying, with assistance from the Crime Scene Investigation Unit at the Ocean County Sheriff's Department, Della Fave said. Detective John Murphy of the Prosecutor's Office and DetectiveLynn Miller of the Lakewood police are leading the investigation, and are accepting tips from the public. Contact Murphy at732-929-2027, and Miller at 732-363-0200.

Katie Park: 908-801-4853; kpark@gannettnj.com

Read or Share this story: http://on.app.com/2kJNdEm

Read this article:
Eliabit Mena's death ruled homicide, police say - Asbury Park Press