Sheriff H.D. “Gator” Deloach spoke after alerting the family, saying, “This was certainly the worst possible case scenario as far as outcome.”Deputies say the boy’s mother was outside with Jose and his sister when she took his sister inside to clean her up. When she came back out, the boy was gone.
There was no evidence of foul play, so volunteers and police searched the property all day, only finding the 1-year-old once they checked the bodies of water and septic tank with infrared cameras. “Just beneath the layer of dirt there was actually a piece of plywood that had been there for some time and appeared to have rotted to the extent that whenever he stepped on it, he actually fell in,” the sheriff said.The tank was just 35 to 40 yards from the house, making it easy for the boy to wander over. Police say the family was renting the home.
“That indicates that the family was likely renting here ... so some questions would be, ‘Where they made aware of whether or not there was in fact a septic tank on the property?’ If so, were they aware of that location? Were they aware it was only covered with wood and not a more secure form of covering?”Harper Williams says the low cost to fix any dangers from septic tanks, like a high density cover or something similar, makes Jose Lara’s death that much more tragic.
Mass condolences, support and respect for his mother!