Body Of Missing Autistic Boy, 12, Found In Alligator-Infested Lagoon

A tragic end has come to the search for 12-year-old Bryan Vasquez, who went missing nearly two weeks ago in New Orleans. Authorities confirmed on Wednesday (August 27) that the boy died from blunt force trauma and drowning after an alligator attack. His body was discovered in a lagoon near his home.

Bryan, a non-verbal autistic boy, disappeared from his home on Beaucaire Street in the Village De L'Est neighborhood on August 14. He was last seen on surveillance footage wearing only a diaper, wandering near Sevres Street, which runs alongside the water where he was found. The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office determined the cause of death, and New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick announced the findings at a press conference.

The search for Bryan involved multiple agencies, including the United Cajun Navy, which used a thermal drone to locate his body on Tuesday (August 26). Volunteer Jon Gusanders, who discovered the body, described seeing two alligators surface with Bryan's remains. He told NOLA.com that the alligators, one approximately nine to eleven feet long and the other about six feet, seemed to have been holding the body underwater.

The case remains under investigation, with police considering the death "unclassified" at this time. An internal investigation is also underway to address a five-hour delay in police response to the initial 911 call reporting Bryan missing. Additionally, authorities have confiscated several phones, including that of Bryan's mother, Hilda Vasquez, as part of the investigation.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is working to remove "nuisance alligators" from the area, as there are suspicions that residents may have been feeding them. Superintendent Kirkpatrick expressed the need to review all aspects of the case, stating, "I think the death of Bryan is a failure. We are going to look at everything."