Lucian Munguia: Remains of 5-year-old missing since September have been found

Authorities say no evidence of foul play and believe youngster accidentally drowned

The remains of a five-year-old child missing since September have been discovered in a river close to where he went missing.

Police, relatives and members and the public had been searching for Lucian Munguia since he went missing in Yakima’s Sarg Hubbard Park, next to the Yakima River, on September 10.

Officers received thousands of tips, and last week took a call from a man who spotted what appeared to be skeletal remains in the river, that runs through the city of Yakima, 150 miles east of Seattle, in Washington state.

An autopsy making use of dental records concluded that the remains were those of the toddler. The coroner ruled that the little boy had died as a result of accidental drowning.

DNA testing is curently being carried out to confirm the identity.

Cpt Shawn Boyle of the Yakima Police Department told The Independent that based on all the evidence, it appeared the boy had died as a result of an accident. There was no ongoing investigation.

“He was at the the park with his father and family – I think his brothers and sisters, other siblings, and his father, at which point he wandered off from the family,” said Mr Boyle.

Members of the public who had followed the case offered their condolences to the family on the police department’s Facebook page. The family has reportedly asked for privacy.

Mr Boyle said he wanted to thank the public for its help in locating the child’s remains.

“We’d like to thank all the community members and local agencies, law enforcement and non-law enforcement, for their efforts in this,” he added.