Body of autistic boy, 5, who fled party found in canal

[aaronleland]

Body of autistic boy, 5, who fled party found in canal

ALLENTOWN, PA.

The body of a 5-year-old Pennsylvania boy with autism was found in a canal about a quarter mile from a relative’s home where the boy wandered away, barefoot and without a coat, during a New Year’s Eve party, authorities announced Saturday.

Lehigh County Coroner Scott Grim said an autopsy Monday will help determine when Jayliel Vega Batista entered the water at Canal Park in Allentown.

“Preliminarily, this is being considered a tragic accident,” Allentown police Chief Keith Morris said at the same Saturday evening news conference.

The boy went missing about 10:30 p.m. Thursday, after family members told police he was playing with a tablet computer with other children before he simply wandered away without being immediately noticed. Temperatures were near freezing Friday night into Saturday, and rose to only the high 30s.

Search dogs tracked the boy’s scent to the canal, where a searcher found the tablet early Saturday afternoon. That prompted police to call in fire department divers who found the boy’s body about 8 feet from shore, in 6 feet of water, authorities said.

“At this point, we don’t believe there was any foul play involved,” Morris said. But police were continuing their investigation in hopes of pinpointing where, how and why the boy may have entered the water.

Terrible story.

I'll pray for the family involved, and hope they find some form of solace.

 

[Spinster]

Agree, horrible loss. Our prayers are with the family, too.

 

[Muhammed]

It must have been global warming. Damn that global warming. And that little dog too!

 

[strollingbones]

what a sad life mu that you have to do that shit in this type of thread....

pity....i was hoping for a better outcome....how does a family recover from a lifetime of 'what ifs'

 

[aaronleland]

It must have been global warming. Damn that global warming. And that little dog too!

Don't let anyone tell you that you aren't a piece of shit.

 

[aaronleland]

I posted this in the "Current Events" forum because it's a sad story. Why wouldn't global warming make it into the mix?