Boy, 9, Riding Bicycle Near School, Is Slain

Police said a 9-year-old boy who was riding his bicycle in a wooded area behind Martinez Junior High School on Saturday apparently was stabbed to death.

A group of neighborhood boys discovered the body of Eric Coy and his bicycle in bushes beside a wooded footbridge that crosses a creek in an area known to be frequented by transients.

Police declined to release any details of the homicide except to say that the murder weapon appeared to be a “sharp object.”

Neighbors and family friends said the youngster, a third-grader at Las Juntas Elementary School, appeared to have been stabbed or bludgeoned. They also said the boy frequently rode his bike and played in the area near where his body was found.

“There are a lot of bums who live down there,” said Steve Whitworth, whose home is near the creek. “We’re always hearing noises down there at night.”

The boy’s father, Dan Coy, said his son left the house in the morning to visit an aunt who lives several blocks away. His body was found a short time later.

“He knew about strangers,” the elder Coy said. “And he knew how to stay away from them. He was street-wise, very street-wise for a 9-year-old kid. He was friendly and outgoing, but he knew what he was doing and he wouldn’t have done anything to get himself in trouble.”