NEW YORK -  Criminal charges against Pedro Hernandez, 51, for the homicide of Etan Patz, 6, in 1979, were filed in court on Friday. Hernandez, of Maple Shade, NJ, is charged with murder in the second degree, a class A felony.

“Pedro Hernandez was charged today with the murder of Etan Patz,” said District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. “This is the beginning of the legal process, not the end.  There is much investigative and other work ahead, and it will be conducted in a measured and careful manner. I want to thank our partners in law enforcement, particularly the NYPD and the FBI, for their unparalleled perseverance over the last three decades.”

According to the felony complaint, the defendant is charged with strangling Etan Patz, then six years old, on May 25, 1979, in the basement of 448 West Broadway.