Boy, 12, dies following suspected alligator attack 'after climbing out window'

A missing young boy is believed to have died after suffering an attack from an alligator in a canal near his home – as police investigate his mother.

Bryan Vasquez's body was found in the canal and put down to a 'failure' on behalf of the Police Department and their Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick after his body was found on August 26. The 12-year-old, who was diagnosed with autism, appeared to have died as a result of blunt force trauma and drowning, following an alligator attack.

The incident occurred on August 14 at 5:20am, as the child was missingfrom his home, but police are still uncertain about the boy's time of death. Kirkpatrick told Nolathat his death was "a failure."

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She continued to say: "And as I said, we're going to look at everything. I mean, everything." NOPD Deputy Superintendent Nicholas Gernon added: "We're looking at all aspects. This is a fact-finding mission."

Local media outlet NOLA.com reported that the boy escaped from his home on the morning his mum said he went missing by climbing out of a window. Bryan's mother, Hilda Vasquez, was served with a search warrant, which included looking into her phone for evidence, as her previous child abuse charges have emerged during the investigation.

Previously in 2014, the 34-year-old mother of four was charged with cruelty to juveniles and second-degree cruelty to juveniles when, at just 6 months old, Bryan sustained a fractured skull and broken legs, NOLA reported. Hilda later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of simple cruelty to juveniles by negligent treatment or neglect.

After recently moving home, Bryan's mother said that she had not had time to install security measures that would help to keep her child safe. According to her, the 12-year-old was prone to sneaking away from their old home and going to a nearby playground.

A translator for the family, Cristiane Rosales-Fajardo, who helped during the search for Bryan, said the investigation has been "like a war" for their family. They continued to say: "She just was holding on to faith and fate. When they finally confirmed that it is her son, she asked to see his body.

"Well, they're not allowing her to see the body because of the decomposition...and the damage that the alligators caused. I brought them to my house, which is right around the corner from her house, and we just cried," Rosales-Fajardo added.

Hilda has shared her dissatisfaction with the response time from the police, as she says it took five hours for her to hear back from officers after she submitted a missing persons report. The delay was described by the superintendent to be "inordinate", reports state.

She said: "We own the issue of the delay... we know that these are difficult outcomes, and we still have quite a grieving community and a grieving family. This investigation does continue." She added that there is an internal investigation being launched into the issue of the delay.

Deputy Superintendent Nicholas Gernon confirmed that no charges or arrests had been made. They said: "This is a fact-finding mission, and the police department will go wherever the facts lead us to go."

In a press release, city officials shared: "Bryan was a bright, charismatic, and energetic young boy whose joy and spirit touched the lives of his family, friends, and community."