FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Investigators are still working to identify the bodies of two males found in the wheel well of a JetBlue plane that landed in Fort Lauderdale last week.
However, loved ones of teenagers reported missing in the Dominican Republic told Local 10 News Tuesday that they fear the teens could be linked to the tragedy.
Through a translator, Nelson René said his relative, 17-year-old Jey Anilu, has been missing from his home since Jan. 3.
He said some in the community suspected Anilu and two other teenagers planned to escape the country.
“Somebody here -- they will go to travel… maybe in a plane or boat, and they try to escape from the Dominican Republic,” René said.
A Dominican media outlet reported that relatives of the other teenager has been in touch with investigators and are waiting for DNA results.
The whereabouts of the third teenager are unknown.
Investigators said the deadly discovery was made last week during a routine post-flight inspection.
The plane arrived that night from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport, but flight trackers show it had previously been in several locations, including the Dominican Republic.
Newly released 911 calls captured the urgency of the situation:
”There’s a plane that came from JFK. Tail number 644 ... but could you please send medical assistance and possibly a police officer? ” the caller asked.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office said it will not connect the missing teenagers to the case at this time, but a spokesperson with the department confirmed that the county medical examiner’s office and local law enforcement are diligently working to identify the bodies.
René's translator said loved ones are waiting for answers.
“They have the hope they’re not them,” the translator said.