A 12-year-old autistic boy, missing for nearly two weeks, has been found dead in a New Orleans canal, with police saying he died from "blunt force due to an alligator" and drowning.
Bryan Vasquez, who was nonverbal, was reported missing on the morning of 14 August after he reportedly escaped through a bedroom window in the city's East side. Doorbell camera footage captured the boy, wearing only a nappy, walking alone down the street at approximately 5:20am that day.
His body was discovered on Tuesday by a drone, following an extensive search. Bryan's mother, Hilda Vasquez, had previously told The New Orleans Advocate/The Times-Picayune that her son frequently snuck away from their home to visit a nearby playground. However, the family had recently relocated to a new house.
Kristiane Morales-Fajardo, a family friend and spokesperson, said Bryan’s mother called 911 that morning and then later went in person to the New Orleans Police Department station – but hours passed before police responded.
Bryan's disappearance prompted a massive search that included multiple agencies, volunteers, airboats and bloodhounds.
As local and state crews combed the area, criticism mounted over the New Orleans Police Department's delayed response. Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said that there was a nearly five-hour gap between when the boy was reported missing and an officer arriving at the scene.
Kirkpatrick said the police department has launched an internal investigation into the lapse.
A coroner's autopsy determined that Bryan drowned after he sustained trauma from an alligator, Kirkpatrick said at a news conference on Wednesday. The boy was found about 200 yards (183 meters) from where the search had started. Kirkpatrick said it is possible his body resurfaced after he died, which is common in drowning deaths.
“Bryan was a bright, charismatic, and energetic young boy whose joy and spirit touched the lives of his family, friends and community,” city officials said in a press release.
Kirkpatrick said she has asked the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to remove “nuisance” alligators from the area where Bryan was found.
According to the wildlife agency, hunters capture and remove more than 1,000 nuisance alligators every year in an effort to minimize encounters between the alligators and humans. Louisiana is home to the largest alligator population in the country.
