A 12-year-old nonverbal boy from New Orleans who went missing earlier this month was found dead Tuesday, with authorities saying an alligator attack contributed to his death.
New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick reported that Bryan Vasquez drowned after suffering blunt force trauma from the animal. His body was discovered in a lagoon in the Michoud neighborhood. Officials are continuing an investigation into the boy’s death, which Kirkpatrick described as “unclassified.”
Vasquez disappeared on Aug. 14, prompting a large-scale search and criticism of the police department after it was revealed that authorities did not respond to a 911 call regarding the boy for five hours. Kirkpatrick said she requested an internal affairs investigation into the delayed response, noting that “something’s not right here.”
Authorities also obtained a search warrant for the cell phones of Vasquez’s parents, though Kirkpatrick said it is a standard investigative step and may not indicate wrongdoing.
Vasquez, who had a neurodevelopmental condition and did not understand English or Spanish, left his home through a bedroom window around 5 a.m. on Aug. 14. Security footage captured him wandering nearby less than an hour later, wearing only an adult diaper.
The United Cajun Navy, a volunteer emergency response group, helped lead the search that ultimately recovered his body. A member of the group said the boy was located by a drone team after days of difficult conditions, adding, “we were able to bring Bryan home.”
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