New Orleans Police Confirm Missing Boy Died in Alligator Attack; Homicide Division Takes Lead
New Orleans Police Confirm Missing Boy Died in Alligator Attack; Homicide Division Takes Lead
New Orleans authorities have confirmed that Bryan Vasquez, the 12-year-old boy with autism who went missing earlier this month, died as a result of an alligator attack. The Orleans Parish Coroner’s office determined his cause of death was drowning with blunt trauma consistent with an alligator attack, a police spokesperson stated on Wednesday, August 28. The case has now transitioned from a missing juvenile investigation to an unclassified death investigation, led by the New Orleans Police Department’s homicide division.
Bryan, who was nonverbal, was first reported missing on the morning of August 14 after reportedly escaping through a bedroom window on the East side of New Orleans. Doorbell camera footage showed him walking alone in a diaper around 5:20 a.m. His body was tragically discovered by a drone on Tuesday, August 27, in a New Orleans canal, nearly two weeks after his disappearance.
Detectives are actively pursuing all leads and reviewing the circumstances surrounding Bryan’s death. As of now, no individuals have been charged or identified as suspects, and the investigation remains open and active.
The boy’s disappearance sparked a massive search effort involving multiple agencies, volunteers, airboats, and bloodhounds. Criticism had mounted against the New Orleans Police Department for a nearly five-hour delay between the missing report and an officer’s arrival. Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick has since requested the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to remove “nuisance” alligators from the area where Bryan was found. Louisiana, home to the largest alligator population in the country, sees over 1,000 nuisance alligators removed annually.
City officials described Bryan as “a bright, charismatic, and energetic young boy whose joy and spirit touched the lives of his family, friends and community.” His mother, Hilda Vasquez, had previously shared that Bryan would often wander to a nearby playground, though the family had recently moved.
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