A group of hunters found human remains inside the belly of an alligator they captured Tuesday near a lagoon where a nonverbal autistic boy was attacked and killed by one of the scaly predators.
Bryan Vazquez, 12, was missing for nearly a month before authorities recovered his battered corpse from a lagoon near his family’s home in New Orleans.
Following the grisly discovery, authorities dispatched hunters to eliminate the “nuisance alligators” and, hopefully, track down the predator responsible for Bryan’s death.
One group just across Lake Pontchartrain in Lacombe, La., might’ve nabbed the right bounty on Tuesday.
The hunters found what appeared to be the upper remains of a person inside a gutted gator they captured. The find was quickly turned over to The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, which will conduct DNA testing to determine if the remains are a positive match with Bryan, WWLTV reported.
On Aug. 14, the child’s mother Hilda Vasquez left him at home in the care of his 11-year-old sister. Around 5 a.m., Bryan slipped out an unsecured window and wandered away from home — something authorities said he’d done at least twice before.
He was last seen on surveillance footage that morning near the front stoop wearing nothing but an adult diaper.
When Bryan was just 3 months old, Vasquez beat him so badly that suffered a skull fracture, broken legs, a collapsed lung and a traumatic brain injury that authorities said contributed to his autism and muteness.
She was convicted of the abuse in 2013 and Bryan was removed from he care.
However, at some point, the boy was returned to Vasquez’s custody by the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, though it’s unclear when, police said.
His mangled body wasn’t found until weeks later on Aug 26.
Vasquez was arrested on Sunday and charged with second-degree cruelty to juveniles and negligent homicide for her son’s horrific end.
The mom could face up to 20 years behind bars. She is set to appear for a bond hearing next week.
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