The body of a toddler in Toledo, Ohio who had been missing since Friday has been recovered from a swimming pool of an apartment complex.
Braylen Noble is the three-year-old boy reported missing by his mother after she discovered a window screen of their third-floor apartment had been pushed out.
The Toledo Police tweeted the tragic update five days later: “The body of a small child has been found in the pool at Gibralter Heights. Official ID will be made by the Coroner’s Office. The investigation has now turned from a Missing Person to a Death Investigation. Info will be released as it becomes available.”
The disappearance of young Noble, who was autistic and nonverbal, galvanized his community.
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Hundreds of people turned out for a vigil for the child after his lifeless body was found on Wednesday at the Hunter’s Ridge Apartments in South Toledo.
Divers had previously searched the pool, but nothing was found.
“It’s common practice in police investigations, once an area is searched, if nothing is found, to go back and revisit that search area and see if anything was missed,” said Lt. Kellie Lenhardt. “But we do want to reiterate that the area was searched numerous times by Toledo Fire and Rescue, the FBI, private search groups, and both live and cadaver dogs.”
The family of the toddler gathered for a prayer service on Sunday as the search continued.
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Police had to protect Dajane Cox, Noble’s mother, who was verbally assaulted Wednesday by a crowd outside of her apartment building, hordes who chanted, “Justice for Braylen” and “baby killer,” according to reports.
On Monday, Cox had exclusively shared an emotional plea with NBC24 for her son to be returned home.
“I just want whoever (has) him, please take him somewhere safe,” she said. “I know he’s scared, and I know he’s crying, and he has stomach pains, and he’s not eating. He’s a picky eater. So if you want to just drop him off somewhere, please drop him off to the police station. You can drop him off here. Call my phone.”
A GoFundMe for the boy’s funeral expenses, aiming for $2,000, was created by his aunt, Raynesha Noble, yesterday.
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