WEST CHESTER, Ohio — Patience and understanding — that's what a grieving family is asking for in the wake of a 6-year-old boy's tragic and accidental death.
Search parties found Joshua Al-Lateef Jr. dead Thursday night, one day after he was reported missing.
Police said the boy wandered off from his West Chester apartment off Wyndtree Drive at around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. He had been dropped off earlier in the day by his bus driver and was with his adult sister before he was reported missing from their apartment complex.
Following a 28-hour extensive search of the area, divers pulled Joshua's body from a pond near his building.
Joshua had autism and was nonverbal. In a frantic 911 call, his mother told the dispatcher the boy was drawn to water but had never gone near the pond behind their apartment.
"(We are) overwhelmed and it's heartbreaking. Very, very heartbreaking. Yeah. Lots of tears and trying to help mom and them through. It is hard," Jaquese Hogan told WCPO Friday.
Joshua's mother is Hogan's cousin. Hogan said the past two days have been some of the hardest her family has had to endure.
West Chester officials told WCPO that roughly 400 law enforcement and fire personnel participated in the search, which included ground, water and air teams. Crews were assisted by around 1,500 community volunteers.
"The family is very grateful," Hogan said. "When I saw (Joshua's mother) posting, I automatically got up and went out looking and it was just amazing to see how many people — even when they said, 'No more searching,' they kept searching."
Hogan described Joshua as a good kid who always wore a smile on his face. He wanted to be an athlete when he grew up.
"He's sweet. Everybody who knows him has nothing but a positive attitude toward him. Even his bus driver was like, he makes her day when they see him," Hogan said. "Teachers, Lakota, West Chester, all of them just — we want to say thanks for all the support."
Joshua attended Wyandot Early Childhood School. WCPO emailed the district about Joshua's death Friday.
"Our hearts are heavy as we extend our deepest condolences to Joshua’s family and friends. This tragic loss is felt through our Lakota Schools community, and especially those at Wyandot Early Childhood School," a district spokesperson said in a statement. "Lakota Local Schools has a Crisis Intervention Team made up of counselors and other trained professionals to help with the needs of students, parents and school personnel at difficult times such as these. The team is joined by our partners from Companions on a Journey and are available to provide support and resources to those affected by this loss. We encourage anyone in need of assistance to reach out to our support services through their school’s office. Our focus remains on providing a supportive and compassionate environment for our students and staff as we grieve together. We are committed to honoring Joshua’s memory in a manner that respects the wishes of his family."
The district included these resources for families to help children through the grieving process:
- Addressing Grief
- National Alliance for Children’s Grief: Talking to Children about a loss
- Companions On A Journey
- Fernside
Hogan said losing Joshua is a pain almost too difficult for the boy's mother to bear. To ease her burden, Hogan is asking the community to help with donations of food or grocery gift cards if they can.
She said people can reach out to her on her Facebook page or on her Instagram profile to coordinate donations. The family is also working on establishing a GoFundMe, though it has not been posted as of Friday evening.
"We don't know how mom is feeling, how brothers and sisters are feeling. There's a lot of feelings right now," Hogan said. "Once I speak with (Joshua's mom) and she says she needs something else, I'll put it out there."
A makeshift memorial of flowers, stuffed animals and balloons started to build Friday morning next to the pond where Joshua was found. People who live in the apartment complex as well as strangers who followed along with his search stopped by throughout the day to contribute.
A candlelight vigil was also held for Joshua on Friday night. A handful of community members gathered at the Muhlhauser Barn to remember little Joshua and let his family know that they are not alone during this time of tragedy.
Many of those at the candlelight vigil did not know Joshua or know his family, but rather were community members who helped to search for him.
“I’ve been in West Chester for 15 years and I would say I’ve never seen the community come together as they did in the search for Joshua,” said West Chester resident Terrence Strader. “As I mentioned, I don’t have any affiliation with the family, I don’t know them, but the way this community showed up today or you know the last few days is just simply amazing. You know, definitely bringing tears of joy to my eyes, you know something that was unbelievable. We put all of our differences aside, you know being there for the greater good.”
Strader and others at the vigil added that his heart has been heavy the last few days as he has been thinking about Joshua and his family.
As the family grieves, Hogan emphasizes her gratitude to the hundreds of people who worked tirelessly in the hopes of bringing Joshua home safely. She also sends a message to those who have loved ones with autism or do not understand the neurodevelopmental disorder's complexities.
"We are very grateful, so grateful to all the people that came out to help. It really touched the family a lot. And just continue praying." said Hogan. "Hopefully, like people get more aware of how to handle children with autism and even adults because how we think is not how we think. Get educated. Get educated as much as possible."
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