The Brief

A missing 12-year-old boy who had autism and was nonverbal died after escaping his home through a window and getting taken by an alligator, New Orleans police said.

Police have faced growing criticism because they didn’t respond to the missing child call until five hours after it was reported.

The body of a missing 12-year-old boy with autism was found in a New Orleans canal this week after a nearly two-week search, and now police say he died from "blunt force due to an alligator" and drowning.

Bryan Vasquez, who is nonverbal, was first reported missing the morning of Aug. 14 after reportedly escaping through his bedroom window. Police didn’t respond to the missing child call until five hours after it was reported.

What we know:

The boy’s mother, Hilda Vasquez, told The New

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