‘Lot of broken hearts’: Boy who ran away from school found dead in pond, authorities say

SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. (AP) — An 8-year-old student was found dead in a pond after running away from his classroom Thursday at an elementary school in South Carolina, authorities said.

Lionel Ramirez Cervantes was in a classroom with two other students and three school employees when he ran out into the hall, outside the building and then over or through a fence and into a field with high grass where he could no longer be seen, Greenville County Schools said in a statement.

Police were immediately called and officers, school officials and community members began searching. Divers found Lionel’s body about four hours later in a neighborhood pond about 1,000 feet (300 meters) from Bell’s Crossing Elementary in Simpsonville, authorities said.

“A lot of broken hearts in that school and community today,” Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis said at a news conference.

Before the boy’s body was found, deputies released information that he might have autism or another developmental disorder and may not respond to regular verbal prompts.

Deputies and school officials are investigating exactly what happened and how the child got off school grounds but emphasized staff members reacted quickly and tried to catch him.

“This was our worst fear today, and we are grieving as a community. We are devastated to lose one of our children. We will bind together with the support of the district,” Bell’s Crossing Elementary School Principal Chris Ross said in a statement.

The school remained open Friday and grief counselors were brought in for students and teachers. The district also said it was providing whatever support Lionel’s family needs.

An autopsy on the boy was scheduled for Friday.

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