Louisiana authorities announced on Wednesday that a 12-year-old autistic boy, who was discovered dead on Tuesday in a lagoon, drowned after being attacked by an alligator.
Identified as Bryan Vasquez, reports state he exited his New Orleans East home via his bedroom window on August 14, about two weeks before his body was located in a nearby lagoon. According to WWL, the Orleans Parish Coroner determined that Vasquez had suffered blunt-force injuries from the alligator attack prior to drowning.
The exact time of Vasquez’s death remains unknown. Meanwhile, New Orleans police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick noted that they are probing into a 5-hour delay between when Vasquez was reported missing and the police’s subsequent action.
“There may be facts that explain it, but on its face, it’s inordinate,” she said.
NOLA.com revealed that the family had recently moved to the new residence, and Vasquez’s mother hadn’t yet implemented the security measures that had previously kept him safe. Alongside Vasquez, his mother is also responsible for three other children, one of whom is an infant.
The mother had faced more severe charges back in 2014 but eventually pled guilty to simple cruelty to juveniles by negligent treatment or neglect, a law enforcement source told NOLA.com.
Per the source, the case involved Vasquez — who was 6 months old when he suffered a fractured skull and broken legs.
According to WDSU, police have secured search warrants for the phones of Vasquez’s parents. New Orleans police clarified that the warrants are standard procedure and do not indicate any criminal wrongdoing in this situation.
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.
[Feature Photo: New Orleans police]
