Father of Brendan Creato pleads not guilty in boy's death
HADDON TWP., N.J. (WPVI) -- The Camden County father accused of murdering his 3-year-old son entered has entered a plea of not guilty.
David "D.J" Creato Jr. was in court for a brief hearing on Monday.
He is charged with the murder of his son, Brendan, back in October of last year.
Prosecutors claim Creato acted in a jealous rage because his 17-year-old girlfriend, who did not like children, threatened to leave him.
Creato, who is 22, is being held on $750,000 dollars bail.
His next court appearance is scheduled for March 7th.
Brendan vanished from his father's home in the pre-dawn hours of October 13th in Haddon Township.
He was later found partially submerged in the water in a wooded section of a nearby park.
It's a location that Creato allegedly told investigators was "spiritual" for him, and one he had been to some 30 times with his girlfriend, even taking a photo there.
Creato can be heard on a 911 call from the day Brendan vanished, reporting the missing child.
"I just woke up and my 3-year-old's missing," he says.
The 911 operator asks if the child is a boy or girl, and Creato says "A 3-year-old boy. His name is Brendan," then goes on to say the boy was wearing red pajamas.
"I just woke up and he wasn't in my apartment," he said after being asked by the 911 operator if he saw or heard anything. "I don't know if he wandered out or what happened. I don't know where he is."
"The door was locked. I guess he unlocked it and left," Creato continues. The 911 operator then asks him to stay on the line in case the police dispatcher has any more questions.
