A young boy, aged 12, who had been missing for almost two weeks in New Orleans, was found to have been killed by an alligator, authorities revealed on Wednesday after his body was discovered in a lagoon.
The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office confirmed that Bryan Vasquez’s cause of death was blunt force trauma and drowning as a result of the alligator attack, as reported by New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick during a press conference.
Kirkpatrick said the boy’s death is considered “unclassified,” and that an investigation remains ongoing.
According to the New Orleans Police Department, Vasquez, who is non-verbal, went missing on August 14. His family reported that he had escaped through a bedroom window. Doorbell camera footage captured him wandering alone at around 5:20 a.m., dressed only in a diaper.
Kirkpatrick said it was unclear what caused the delay, noting that there will be an internal investigation to determine why.
“I think the death of Bryan is a failure,” Kirkpatrick said. “I think it is. We are going to look at everything, and I mean everything.”
Police said the manner of Bryan’s death remains “unclassified,” and an investigation is ongoing. (New Orleans Police Department)
In the course of the investigation, Kirkpatrick mentioned that a search warrant led to the confiscation of several phones, including that of Bryan’s mother. She emphasized this was standard procedure in the investigation and clarified that there were no suspects identified at the moment.
“We’re examining everyone’s situation, history, and background based on the information provided to us,” Kirkpatrick stated. “This is why it’s important to consider all facts within context. Currently, there is no suspect; we are focusing on the circumstances at hand.”
