The Putnam County Sheriff’s office found 1-year-old Jose Lara in a septic tank on his family’s property after what appeared to be a tragic accident.
Sheriff H.D. “Gator” Deloach spoke after alerting the family, saying, “This was certainly the worst possible case scenario as far as outcome.”Deputies say the boy’s mother was outside with Jose and his sister when she took his sister inside to clean her up. When she came back out, the boy was gone.
There was no evidence of foul play, so volunteers and police searched the property all day, only finding the 1-year-old once they checked the bodies of water and septic tank with infrared cameras. “Just beneath the layer of dirt there was actually a piece of plywood that had been there for some time and appeared to have rotted to the extent that whenever he stepped on it, he actually fell in,” the sheriff said.The tank was just 35 to 40 yards from the house, making it easy for the boy to wander over. Police say the family was renting the home.
“That indicates that the family was likely renting here ... so some questions would be, ‘Where they made aware of whether or not there was in fact a septic tank on the property?’ If so, were they aware of that location? Were they aware it was only covered with wood and not a more secure form of covering?”Harper Williams says the low cost to fix any dangers from septic tanks, like a high density cover or something similar, makes Jose Lara’s death that much more tragic.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office searching for missing 1-year-old boyDEVELOPING: The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is searching Sunday evening for a missing 1-year-old boy south of Crescent City.
Read more »
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office continues search for missing 1-year-old boyThe Putnam County Sheriff’s Office continues the desperate search for 1-year-old Jose Lara, who was reported missing Sunday afternoon after disappearing from his family’s back yard.
Read more »
Map: California population change, county by countyTwo Bay Area counties were among the 10 in the nation that lost the greatest percentage of their population in the first 15 months of the pandemic.
Read more »
Missing 70-year-old George County man found deadLarry James Spicer, 70, was reported missing March 22 after not being since the night before.
Read more »
At Least 3 Dead In Pileup Of Dozens Of Vehicles In Schuylkill County, PennsylvaniaA collision involving dozens of vehicles on Interstate 81 in Pennsylvania killed at least three people and sent more than a dozen others to area hospitals on Monday, authorities said.
Read more »