Boy, 12, with Severe Brain Condition Vanished from His Home. Now, an Urgent Search Has Been Launched for the Missing Child

An urgent search is underway for a 12-year-old boy with a serious brain condition who went missing from his home in New Orleans.

Around 10:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, Aug. 14, Bryan Vasquez was “discovered missing from his home” on Beaucaire Street in New Orleans, the Louisiana State Police (LSP) said in a news release. A Level II Endangered/Missing Child alert was issued for the boy at about 1:39 a.m. local time on Friday, Aug. 15.

Vasquez has a neurodevelopmental condition and is non-verbal. He also does not understand English or Spanish, according to the LSP. Police describe him as a Hispanic male with brown eyes and black hair, 5 feet 1 inch tall, weighing between 86 and 100 pounds.

“He was last seen wearing an adult diaper and is believed to be walking in an unknown direction,” the LSP said in its release.

Missing Child Alert Issued for Boy with Severe Brain Condition Level II Child Endangerment Alert: Please be on the lookout for Bryan Vasquez.
Vasquez went missing from his home in New Orleans on Aug. 14.

The New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) wrote on Facebook, “Please be on the lookout for Bryan Vasquez. This 12-year-old has been missing since early yesterday morning in New Orleans East. Call 9-1-1 if you think you see this child.”

Vasquez was last seen at about 6:33 a.m. Thursday, walking naked around the neighborhood. He “appeared to be in distress,” NOLA News reported, citing a press conference given by officials on Friday.

Beaucaire St, New Orleans, LA (street where Bryan Vasquez went missing)

“He’s probably hungry and needs medical attention,” NOPD Major Lejon Roberts said, according to NOLA News. “He could be scared. He could be hiding.”

Police noted that there are “several low-lying canals” near the area where Vasquez went missing. Boats are being used in the search, NOLA News reported.

Anyone with information about Vasquez’s whereabouts should contact the NOPD, Seventh District, at (504) 658-6070, or call 911.