Bryan Vasquez, 12, was tragically mauled to death by an alligator in a lagoon in New Orleans, Louisiana. Investigators are now probing how the boy came to be attacked

Bryan Vasquez was allegedly killed by an alligator in New Orleans(Image: Facebook)
A mum has been arrested after her 12 year old son was killed by an alligator.
Bryan Vasquez was discovered dead in a lagoon last month and the cause of death was ruled to be an alligator attack and drowning. His mother, Hilda Vasquez, now faces charges of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and negligent homicide.

Authorities and relatives spent almost a fortnight hunting for Bryan after he vanished on August 14. He was found dead near his home which sits next to a canal in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Investigations indicate an alligator entered through a window of the family residence, snatched Bryan and ultimately mauled him to death. During the search for her child, Hilda told reporters: “I want my child. He is my life.”, reports the Mirror.

Officers discovered Bryan had attempted to flee twice previously in August alone and questioned why Hilda had left the bedroom window open after these incidents, or failed to install an alarm or security system to stop her autistic son from escaping.

Speaking to nola.com, the mother-of-three had previously stated: “He just wants to run.”

This reportedly heightened suspicions and Hilda has now been arrested in connection with the death in New Orleans.

Volunteers searched for the lad daily from 6am to 7pm, only pausing when darkness fell and clouds of mosquitos would emerge. Bryan was finally found dead on August 26, authorities confirmed today.

Family members, mates and locals scoured the streets of Village De L’Est where the Vasquez family resides. Some took to all-terrain vehicles and distributed missing person leaflets that had been translated into English, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Hilda held fort at the community’s search headquarters set up outside her home.

This follows a heartbreaking incident where a two year old lad tragically died from severe heatstroke after being left in a sweltering 32C car by a nursery teacher who forgot about him. Little Salomao Rodrigues Faustino was discovered near death in the vehicle in Neropolis, in Brazil’s Goais state, on February 18 after nursery head, Flaviane Lima, suddenly remembered him and called firefighters.

The tot had been strapped into his baby seat, unable to move, with all the windows and doors of the vehicle shut.

Experts reckon the temperature inside the car would have soared to nearly 60C after the four hours when Salomao was rescued. He was tragically declared dead shortly after he was rushed to Sagrado Coracao de Jesus Hospital.

His nursery boss Lima was arrested 55 miles away from the scene after allegedly trying to escape. She was later charged with manslaughter and is currently being held in custody at the Provisional Prison Complex of Aparecida de Goiania, prosecutors revealed.