A five-year-old boy’s body was found in the Yakima River more than four months after he was reported missing.
On a family trip to Sarg Hubbard Park, Lucian Munguia ran away while his father was changing the diaper of his youngest child.
On September 10, Juano Munguia took his three kids to the park and left Lucian and his 6-year-old brother close by to play.
“One minute later,” he walked back to where the boys were playing, but Lucian, who has autism and doesn’t talk much, was gone.
Police confirmed that the little boy’s body was found on December 29. It took 110 days after he went missing to find out that he drowned by accident.
The child left the playground on his own and walked into a number of bodies of water, where his remains were later found.
His family looked everywhere for him for days after he went missing. A dive team and police dogs were also brought in to help.
In October, Lucian’s mother, Sandra Munguia, offered a reward of $10,000 for his safe return. Since then, Lucian’s family has set up a GoFundMe page.
She wished her son a Merry Christmas a few days before the news of his death came out.
I wish you were here with us spreading joy like you would every day of our lives. Christmas isn’t so merry without you.
Every morning, his father Juano walked through the park and waded through bodies of water to try to find his son.
In an online statement, the family said:
We regret to inform all of you that Lucian has been found but unfortunately, it was with tragic news.
Our hearts are forever broken and we will never be the same. The family will be unavailable at this time and we will not be answering any questions.
We thank you all for the support and love you gave to us and more importantly, to Lucian. We are forever grateful for the help you all were.
Yakima Police added:
Based on the results of the autopsy, there is no indication of criminal acts that led to Lucian’s death.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Lucian.
Lucian’s parents said he was “energetic, outgoing, loving, and smart.” He had his fifth birthday while he was missing, and they said he was “loving.”
