Mother of 12-Year-Old Seeks More Time to Find Attorney After Arrest

Arrest of Mother in Connection with Death of Non-Verbal 12-Year-Old Boy

The New Orleans Police Department has arrested a mother in connection with the death of her non-verbal 12-year-old son, who was found dead in a lagoon in New Orleans East. Hilda Vasquez, the mother of Bryan Vasquez, is facing two charges: one count of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and one count of negligent homicide.

Hilda Vasquez appeared in Criminal District Court on Monday for an arraignment. During the hearing, she took the stand, and the judge allowed her hearing to be postponed so she can find an attorney. The court also issued protective orders for the other children in the household while the charges are pending. As part of these orders, Vasquez is prohibited from contacting any of her children.

She is not allowed to call or text them at all while in custody. If she posts bail once it is set, she cannot be within 600 feet of her children and must enroll in a domestic abuse program before December 22.

According to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), Vasquez neglected to check on Bryan for four hours before realizing he was missing and contacting police. Preliminary interviews conducted by NOPD revealed that Vasquez started giving Bryan an unknown brand of melatonin sleep aid around 8 p.m. on August 13.

On August 14, around 3 a.m., Vasquez said she was awakened by Bryan, who struggles to sleep at night. She took him back to his sister’s room and put him back to sleep. Vasquez then woke up around 7 a.m. to take her 6-year-old son to school, leaving Bryan and her 11-year-old daughter home alone without any adult supervision.

According to the affidavit, she did not check on Bryan before leaving; she assumed he was still asleep because the bedroom door was closed. When Vasquez arrived home at an unknown time, she did not check on Bryan and instead went into her bedroom.

Around 10 a.m., Vasquez told Detective Bravo that she called for her 11-year-old daughter to run errands with her. At that time, her daughter informed her that Bryan was missing. Vasquez discovered the window was opened in the children’s bedroom and stated she didn’t take preventative measures to secure the window because Bryan never attempted to leave through it before.

Vasquez told police that Bryan had run away twice, two weeks before August 13. The first incident happened on August 1 at their previous home in the morning. Vasquez and her partner searched for Bryan before calling police and learning that Bryan was found by police. The second incident happened on August 4, when Vasquez was asleep. A neighbor had found Bryan and returned him to the home. This incident wasn’t reported to police, according to NOPD.

A search for Bryan was launched, and he was found on August 26 in a lagoon near his home. He died from an alligator attack and drowning, according to the coroner’s office.

NOPD said it received records from DCFS, which showed multiple reports filed against Vasquez from November 2013 through August 2025 for child physical abuse and lack of supervision.

Key Details from the Case

• Charges: Second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and negligent homicide.
• Court Appearance: Vasquez appeared in court and requested more time to find an attorney.
• Protective Orders: Vasquez is not allowed to contact her children while the charges are pending.
• Neglect: Vasquez failed to check on Bryan for four hours before realizing he was missing.
• Sleep Aid: Vasquez gave Bryan an unknown brand of melatonin on August 13.
• Previous Runaways: Bryan had run away twice before the incident, but only one was reported to police.
• Death: Bryan was found in a lagoon and died from an alligator attack and drowning.
• Child Welfare Records: Multiple reports of abuse and neglect were filed against Vasquez over a period of more than a decade.