Dozens join forces in New Orleans East to find missing autistic boy Bryan Vasquez, with United Cajun Navy and Los Topos aiding the search.
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As volunteers scour New Orleans East for missing boy, NOPD faces scrutiny
New Orleans East resident Marco Hernandez donned rain gear and grabbed a machete on Friday morning as he prepared to search the area's thicketed marshes, abandoned homes and waterways until sundown. He joined dozens of community members who have done the same since a 12-year-old non-verbal boy vanished last week.
Hernandez said his motivations are simple: "I have a son."
The search for young Bryan Vasquez went into its ninth day as the New Orleans Police Department weathered criticism over a five-hour lag from when the first call came in and an officer was dispatched to respond. NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said Thursday that the department has launched an internal investigation.
A Times-Picayune analysis of
NOPD call logs shows the response in Vasquez’ case was not unusual. The department has fielded more than 250 missing child reports so far this year, many with similar response times, the data show.
Vasquez was last seen on surveillance video leaving his Beaucaire Street home at around 5:20 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 14.
Though foul play hasn't been confirmed in Vasquez' case, police haven't ruled it out, NOPD Detective Mario Bravo said Friday. Deploying drones and dogs, officers with NOPD, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office, the St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries canvassed an area hemmed by canals near the 13000 block of Sevres Street.
The search has galvanized volunteers from Baton Rouge to Michoacán, Mexico and spawned an international partnership.
The United Cajun Navy, founded by local boaters in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, has joined forces with Los Topos, a nonprofit Mexican rescue team founded in the wake of a deadly 1985 Mexico City earthquake.
"The Topos did a brief training to the community volunteers, and we began the search based on what the Cajun Navy needed us to do," said Cristina Casas, a member of Baton Rouge Unido.
She is one of around 40 volunteers she says are assisting authorities in an increasingly desperate search. New Orleans Crimestoppers on Friday announced a $1,250 reward for anyone with tips that help bring Vasquez home.
"We are working very hard to find Bryan," said Bravo, who is leading the investigation.
Family members don't believe the NOPD has done enough, said Cristi Fajardo, founder of El Pueblo Nola.
She cited a lack of communication with NOPD and the five hours that lapsed between the time the missing juvenile report came in at 10:20 a.m. on Aug. 14, and the time an officer arrived on the scene at 3:06 p.m., NOPD call logs show.
“We opened up a formal investigation into that so we could find out what all of the facts are, get them in context and then make decisions," Kirkpatrick said Thursday. "The most important thing is the child."
NOPD officials at a Friday media briefing did not comment on the response times, citing the open investigation. The city on Friday denied a request for related 911 audio, dispatch notes, NOPD records and transcripts, citing a constitutional right to privacy.
A Times-Picayune analysis of NOPD's calls for service log shows 254 reports of missing juveniles so far in 2025 that culminated in a police report. Of those calls, 78 came from the sprawling Seventh District, which encompasses New Orleans East. Only five of those calls were categorized as Priority 2 calls, which merit blue light and sirens.
Those Priority 2 calls had an average response time of 49 minutes. The rest were categorized as Priority 1, a "routine" call, and their response times ranged from hours to, in one case, days, records show.
Casas said she remains hopeful, saying she and other Hispanic volunteers are assisting in the search despite what they view as a risk of potential arrest and detainment by federal immigration agents. Darlene Cuzanza of Crimestoppers re-iterated Thursday that tipsters are anonymous.
"We want further collaboration with the Hispanic community," she said. "We don't want them to be scared of us. ... This hurts us all."
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