The mother of a 12-year-old New Orleans boy who was killed in an alligator attack is facing charges in connection with his neglect-filled life and his death.
Bryan Vasquez had gone missing on Aug. 14 and was found dead in a lagoon near the house where he lived on Aug. 26.
Officials ruled that he died due to an alligator attack and drowning, according to WDSU-TV.
Hilda Vasquez, Bryan’s mother, was charged with one count of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and one count of negligent homicide.
The judge in her case has issued protective orders for her other children and ruled that she cannot have contact with her children while the charges are pending.
“As a result of Vasquez’s failure to protect and check on Bryan, he sustained serious bodily harm after he left the residence and entered the water,” police wrote, according to WVUE-TV.
An affidavit supporting her arrest said there had been a “documented history of failure to provide adequate supervision for a medically vulnerable child, despite repeated interventions and warnings over a 12-year span,” according to NOLA.com.
Bryan went missing on Aug. 14 after being left home with his 11-year-old sister while a younger child was taken to school.
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Vasquez did not know he was missing until 10:00 a.m. that day.
“Vasquez stated she had not taken preventative measures to secure the window because Bryan had never attempted to leave through one before,” police wrote.
Police said that Bryan had previously tried to run away twice, once when he was “found by the police, completely naked and drinking water from a drainage ditch,” and the second on Aug. 4, which was his birthday.
Bryan was nonverbal and autistic, and often left his house for a nearby playground.
A 2021 Division of Family and Children Services report said his disability was classified in an individualized education plan as a “traumatic brain injury (non-accidental).”
The report noted that Bryan had been found with multiple bruises and also suffering from tapeworms.
An earlier police report said when he was three months old, he suffered a damaged lung, retinal hemorrhages, fractures in both legs, and a skull fracture.
In 2014, Vasquez was charged with cruelty to juveniles and second-degree cruelty to juveniles, and pleaded guilty to negligent treatment or neglect, a lesser charge.
Police said that after the incident, the child was removed from the home for a while.
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