New Orleans Mother Accused of Letting Son Die in Alligator Attack Now Faces Cocaine Baby Allegations

Bryan Vasquez was found dead in a lagoon following a terror reptile attack

A Louisiana mother accused of letting her 12-year-old autistic son be mauled to death by alligators is now facing shocking new allegations of giving her newborn baby cocaine.

Hilda Vasquez, 34, was arrested after her son, Bryan, was found dead in a lagoon in New Orleans East on August 26. Authorities said the boy’s body was discovered submerged in the water, surrounded by 10-foot alligators, after a two-week search. Vasquez was initially charged with negligent homicide and second-degree cruelty to a juvenile.

Hilda Vasquez was arrested after her son was found mauled to death by alligators

In court this week, prosecutors argued that Vasquez is a “danger to society,” citing a July social services investigation in which both she and her newborn tested positive for cocaine. They also revealed she had two prior child cruelty charges stemming from a 2014 case when Bryan suffered a fractured skull and broken legs, injuries that left him permanently disabled.

Bryan, who was nonverbal and autistic, disappeared from his home on August 14 around 5:20 a.m. after reportedly climbing out of his bedroom window. Surveillance footage later captured him near a lagoon about an hour after leaving home. He was reported missing at 10:20 a.m., sparking a massive search.

The boy was found drowned in a lagoon, surrounded by hungry gators

Two weeks later, his remains were discovered in a nearby canal just blocks from his home. Authorities used drones to locate his body but had to distract the surrounding alligators before recovery teams could retrieve it.

Investigators believe the reptiles had been drawn to the area because locals regularly fed them scraps. A volunteer who assisted in the recovery said Bryan’s remains were submerged and guarded by the alligators at the time.

The 34-year-old has been accused of giving her baby cocaine

Officials have since ordered Vasquez to be held without bond. Just a week earlier, she had been instructed to stay away from her three surviving children. Police emphasized that Bryan had endured years of abuse and neglect.

“There has been a pattern of both negligence and abuse over Bryan’s 12 years,” authorities stated. “We believe that we can prove that that pattern of negligence and abuse led to undue pain and suffering on his part.”

Social services had previously removed Bryan from his mother’s care, but he was later returned. Investigators say they are determined to pursue justice for the young boy.

Neighbours and friends of the Vasquez family searched for Bryan in August