Body of One-Year-Old Reported Missing Found in Septic Tank at Family's Backyard

The remains of a one-year-old boy were found in a septic tank in a family's backyard. The one-year-old boy, Jose Lara, was last seen playing with his little sister in the family backyard in Crescent City on a Sunday afternoon and had been missing since. An intensive search operation was done on the family's property.

On Monday afternoon, Putnam County Sheriff H.D. Gator DeLoach announced that it was his "unfortunate task" to tell everyone that the search for Jose Lara had ended after the recovery of the toddler's body. He said that the missing one-year-old was found dead in a septic tank on the family's property, IBTimes reported.

Search for Jose Lara

The one-year-old boy was last seen playing with his sister. The mother said she took the girl inside to clean her up, but she could not find Jose anywhere when she returned.

On Sunday afternoon, investigators launched a search for Jose and issued a missing child alert. Around 120 law enforcement officers and firefighters searched a two-square-mile area for signs of the baby's whereabouts. The search involved bloodhounds, drones, helicopters, and night-vision tools to find the boy.

When the bloodhounds could not locate the boy, the search team decided to continue their search in an area covered with weeds, dirt, and plywood. They also began to search in the septic tank after an investigator spotted that an overgrown area looked disturbed, The Independent said. The investigators decided to drain the septic tank early Monday.

The child's remains were found in the septic tank. Authorities believed that the death appeared to be due to an accidental fall.

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DeLoach said in a press conference that they were not hoping for this resolution.

Investigators believe that the toddler wandered off with no one around and got into the septic tank, about 35 to 40 yards away from the house. They also think the boy may have accidentally fallen into the tank covered with rotten plywood.

De Loach said that a piece of plywood was there for some time underneath the layer of dirt. The plywood may have been rotten that the toddler fell when he stepped on it. 

The sheriff said the wooden cover seemed to spring back into place, making it difficult to suspect the septic tank.

Although the case remains under investigation, authorities rule out foul play.

Neighbors, community members reached out to help

Neighbors and total strangers arrived to offer what they could after the family said the boy had wandered off while the mom was tending another child inside their home.

Janet Arce, a neighbor, said that she did not go to work because she needed to do something for the family. As a community, Arce noted that this is a time to get together and support each other, she told Wesh2. Many agencies, including Marion and Volusia counties, also offered help.

DeLoach said that their agency is also grieving with the family. They ask the community for prayers for the bereaved family as they grieve this "unimaginable loss of a son, brother, and grandson."

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