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Police: Gravestone Found At NJ Bus Terminal Belonged To Dog

NUTLEY, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The mysterious gravestone found by a maintenance worker at an Essex County bus terminal earlier this month belongs to a dog, not a child as initially believed, police said.

Nutley police announced Monday that the headstone, which noted the death of Max Ferreira, belonged to a Newark Rottweiler, NJ.com reported. The headstone was discovered in a "brush area" at the NJ TRANSIT bus terminal in Nutley on Aug. 5.

Detectives were able to match records at a local animal hospital to confirm that Max the dog was born on June 16, 1990, and died on Sept. 29, 1998, just as the stone reflected.

Police said records indicated the pet belonged to former Newark resident Agostino Ferreira, who died in 2005.

It's still unclear where Max is buried or how his headstone ended up at the terminal, cops said. Police had issued a call for tips through the press and social media.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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