The San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the tragic drowning of a 5-year-old autistic boy in Shepherd.
According to Det. Gary Sharpen, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, around 4 p.m. Sunday, the child was outside with his family at a property off of FM 3460 in Shepherd when he walked off into a pond without his parents immediately realizing he had disappeared.
The child’s body was discovered about an hour later in the pond, Sharpen said.
His body was taken to Forensic Medical Management in Beaumont where an autopsy will be performed later this week.