A 34-year-old Louisiana mother, Hilda Vasquez, is charged in connection with her 12-year-old son’s death. Police alleged that Bryan Vasquez fled from an abusive New Orleans home and was then tragically killed by alligators.
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As reported by WVUE, Bryan’s body was found on August 26, following a days-long search after he went missing. Detectives allegedly said that Hilda Vasquez provided conflicting statements regarding Bryan.
Allegedly, Vasquez told police that she found Bryan looking for food at around 3 a.m. on August 14. She had given him sleep medication hours before him being in the kitchen. It was not uncommon for him to do so, according ot the mother, so she guided him back to his sister’s room to get some sleep.
Hours later, however, as she prepared her six-year-old son for school, she decided to let Bryan and her sister stay at home. After she came back from bringing her young son to school, she went straight to bed. At around 10 a.m., Vasquez’s daughter told her Bryan was nowhere to be found. Upon checking his bedroom, she allegedly found an open window.
Investigators later learned through Vasquez that Bryan had allegedly attempted to escape twice before he went missing. Shockingly, the mother allegedly revealed to police that, on one occasion, Bryan had been found naked and drinking water from a drainage ditch.
As reported by WDSU, the New Orleans Police Department alleged that Hilda Vasquez neglected Bryan, as she didn’t check on him for four hours.
Body Found
On August 26, 12 days after Bryan went missing, he was found in a lagoon near his home. The coroner’s office determined that he died from “blunt force trauma due to an alligator and drowning.”
NOPD’s Deputy Superintendent Nicholas Gernon revealed during a press conference that Bryan Vasquez previously suffered from injuries allegedly caused by his mother. He detailed how he suffered from a skull fracture, broken legs, and a collapsed lung. Bryan was three months old at the time, according to Gernon.
Vasquez was convicted of abusing Bryan.
“At that point, he was removed from the home,” Gernon said. “At some point subsequent to that, DCFS returned him back to the home.”
Chief Deputy Superintendent Hans Ganthier described Vasquez’s alleged actions as “a pattern of behavior.”
Hilda Vasquez is charged with one count of second-degree cruelty to a child and one count of negligent homicide. She was arrested on Sunday, September 7.
As per WDSU, should she post bail once it is set, she is not to contact her children and must remain 600 feet away from them. She must also complete a domestic abuse program before December 22.
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, you can reach the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233. You can also chat with a representative at thehotline.org​ or by texting “START” to 88788.