On Wednesday, Louisiana officials said that a 12-year-old autistic boy who was found dead in a lagoon on Tuesday drowned following an alligator attack.
Bryan Vasquez reportedly left his New Orleans East home via his bedroom window on August 14, two weeks before his body was discovered in a nearby lagoon. The Orleans Parish Coroner concluded that Vasquez sustained blunt-force injuries from the alligator mauling before he drowned, according to WWL.
Coroners could not ascertain when Vasquez died. Meanwhile, New Orleans police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said they are investigating a 5-hour gap between when Vasquez’s disappearance was reported and their response.
“There may be facts that explain it, but on its face, it’s inordinate,” she said.
NOLA.com reported that the family had recently moved to the residence, and Vasquez’s mother had not had the chance to install security measures that previously prevented his elopement. Vasquez’s mother has three other children, including an infant.
A law enforcement source told NOLA.com that Vasquez’s mother pleaded guilty to simple cruelty to juveniles by negligent treatment or neglect after she faced more serious charges in 2014.
Per the source, the case involved Vasquez — who was 6 months old when he suffered a fractured skull and broken legs.
WDSU reported that police obtained search warrants for Vasquez’s parents’ phones. New Orleans police said the warrant was procedural and does not suggest any criminality in this case.
No arrests have been made. The Department of Children and Family Services said it is also investigating Vasquez’s death.
Kirkpatrick announced on Wednesday that she has asked the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to exterminate “nuisance” alligators from the lagoon where Vasquez’s body was discovered.
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[Feature Photo: New Orleans police]
