MSP: Victims pulled from SUV submerged in water near South Boston identified

BOSTON — Police have identified the two victims who were pulled from the water Friday after an SUV was found submerged just off the pier at South Boston’s Black Falcon Cruiseport Terminal.

Those victims have been identified as Tatianna L. Morales, 21, of New Bedford and Djovany Pierre, 21, of Roxbury.

Detectives are looking through surveillance cameras to determine exactly when and how the pair ended up in the water.

“Where we are at is Tatiana’s last known location where she snapped her last Snapchat,” said Reina Castro in a Facebook live video while she and her family searched for their cousin. Morales posted a video on Snapchat Tuesday night from the pier.

“We pinged the location based off of the video,” said Castro. “We were searching under garbage barrels in parking lots.”

Three days later the family says Morales was pulled out of the reserve channel with stab wounds.

“I don’t know what could’ve been happening but for her to be stabbed that is very brutal,” said a cousin Vicki Castro.

“She’s an amazing dancer,” said Reina. She’s very artistic.”

Troopers responded to Black Falcon Avenue, between the Black Falcon Terminal and 88 Black Falcon Ave., around 12:30 p.m. Friday after receiving information that a sport utility vehicle went into the water at that location earlier this week.

The Massachusetts State Police Underwater Recovery Unit, the State Police Detective Unit for Suffolk County, Boston Police, Boston Fire, and Massport Police also responded.

A Boston Fire Department diver was the first to dive the area and located the vehicle in about 40 feet of water, approximately 15 feet out from the pier. The diver marked the location, surfaced and notified MSP divers who were arriving on scene. Three MSP divers then dove on the vehicle site and determined there were two deceased victims inside.

“Divers brought her up to the boat and the other officers in the boat grabbed and pulled her out,” said onlooker Edwardo Stuart.

MSP divers were able to extricate Morales and bring her body to shore. Pierre could not be extricated from the vehicle while underwater, so divers hooked tow cables to the entire vehicle and a truck winched it out. Pierre was recovered from the vehicle once it was on land.

The Suffolk County DA’s office is investigating the cause and manner of the deaths, but the family says the investigation should’ve begun when they first called police.

“Two consenting adults, if they want to leave on their own they can disappear and we cannot do anything about it,” said Reina. “That’s not how you handle it when we are telling you she said she’s coming home to get them why would she not.”

The person Morales was coming home to get was her son, who is turning 2 next week.

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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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