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Boy buried in backyard on Longmead Ave. would have been 5 years old

Someone buried 4-year-old Eliazar Ruiz in a backyard on Longmead Ave. on Cleveland's west side. Contractors unearthed the toddler's skeleton in September.

5 months to the day, February 20th, 2018, was the day Eliazar Ruiz was supposed to turn five.

It was a missed milestone not to go unmarked by his family on Tuesday.

"I just want him to know we are here," Eliazar’s grandmother, Dawn Battle, told WKYC Channel 3 News through tears.

She and a few dozen more met outside the home where Eliazar’s bones where found. It should have been a birthday party that night. The candles burned on the steps were In Memoriam instead.

They have no choice but to wait for answers from an ongoing investigation.

"We're still waiting on the medical examiner to release information, so we're just waiting on answers right now," said Battle.

"Yeah, if somebody knows something, they need to speak up. Somebody knows something. I mean he doesn't just get dumped and nobody seen it," said another relative without giving her name.

On a phone call from prison, Eliazar's mom, Ashley Makuhan, said at the vigil for her son, “I just want justice for my son. His mommy and his family is going to find who did this. And they are going to pay.

I'm going to get justice for my baby and I love him," said Makuhan.

On Tuesday evening, it was a candle, balloons and stuffed animal tribute to a little boy who should still be here, that had to do for now.

"To let him know we haven't forgotten about him and we love you," said Battle.

WATCH: WKYC was there as family members gathered outside of the Longmead Avenue home for a vigil for Eliazar Ruiz. Watch on Facebook Live:

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