After a months-long search, 5-year-old boy Lucian Munguia was found dead in a Washington river.
Lucian, who had autism, was reported missing from Sarg Hubbard Park on Sept. 10, according to theYakima Herald-Republic. On Friday, police shared that his body had been found in the Yakima river.
Upon their arrival, officialsfound skeletal remainsat the scene, police said in a statement.
Using a comparison of dental records, authorities determined that the remains belonged to the 5-year-old child, police said.
The coroner determined his cause of death was accidental drowning, according to theYakima Herald-Republic.
There is no evidence of foul play, police said, adding that more details will be released once DNA testing is completed.
Lucian Munguia.Yakima Police Department/Twitter
Lucian was last seen on the evening of Sept. 10, heading across a parking lot toward the river, according to theYakima Herald-Republic. After 15 minutes of searching, family members contacted police for help.
“Within a minute, just a blink of an eye, he was gone,” the boy’s mother, Sandra Munguia, told ABC affiliate KVEW at the time.
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In October, loved onesgathered together for a vigilon Lucian’s fifth birthday.
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Speaking with theYakima Herald-Republic, a fire official said the river where Lucian’s remains were found is difficult to search.
“Even though we give 100% effort to locate things, including using infrared drones, there are so many tributaries and multiple places where things can get hung up,” said Yakima Deputy Fire Chief D.J. Goldsmith, according to the newspaper.
“We did everything we could, but it was a tragedy that we couldn’t do something else,” Goldsmith added.
Lucian’s family plans to make his funeral open to the public and are still in the process of making arrangements.
Speaking with the outlet, the boy’s aunt said, “Lucian touched a lot of people’s hearts.”
“Don’t forget that compassion that you felt for him and the love that you felt for him,” she added.
source: people.com
