Two Men Arrested for Leaving the Body of Danyelle Minerva in a Wooded Area

State Police have arrested two men from Bridgeton for leaving the body of Danyelle Minerva, who was missing at the end of 2015, in a wooded area.

According to a Facebook post by New Jersey State Police, detectives arrested 40-year-old Jose Sosa-Ayala and 45-year-old Jose Felix-Sosa, both of Bridgeton, Thursday for disposing of the body of 19-year-old Danyelle Minerva in a wooded area in Alloway Township.

Last month, tree service workers discovered the body of Minerva along Woodstown-Alloway Road. She had been reported missing by family members since October, 2015.

Detectives and the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office were able to develop Jose Sosa-Ayala and Jose Felix-Sosa as suspects. Investigators determined that in October, Sosa-Ayala brought the victim to his residence. During her stay, the victim passed away. Police say Sosa-Ayala allegedly carried the victim out of the house, put her body in a pick-up truck, and left her in a wooded area where it was later found.

Jose Sosa-Ayala and Jose Felix-Sosa were charged with conspiracy, desecration of human remains, and endangering the welfare of a victim. Both were lodged at the Salem County Jail. The cause and manor of Minerva's death have yet to be determined and there were no obvious signs of physical trauma to the body.