Suspect in Etan's death faces charges NEW YORK, May 25 (UPI) -- A man accused of killing 6-year-old Etan Patz in 1979 in New York faced a charge of second-degree murder, police said. Pedro Hernandez, a former store clerk in Manhattan, was arrested Thursday in Etan's death. Police said he confessed to luring Etan with a soft drink and then strangled him. He allegedly put the boy's body in nearby trash. Etan's disappearance on May 25, 1979, focused national attention on the issue of missing children. He was the first missing child whose face appeared on milk cartons. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said investigators found Hernandez due to a tip prompted by recent media coverage of the case. He had allegedly confessed to family members over the years, police said. Hernandez, who was 19 at the time of Etan's disappearance, was expected to be charged Friday with second-degree murder, CNN reported. He has no prior criminal record. Kelly said Hernandez appears remorseful.