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http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/13/us/new-york-missing-autistic-teen/
Missing teen's fascination with trains shifts search underground
October 13, 2013

New York (CNN) -- Transportation officials in New York suspended overnight track maintenance on the city's transit system this weekend as workers combed the underground network for a missing teenager with autism.
Avonte Oquendo, 14, was last seen on surveillance video running out of Center Boulevard School in Long Island City on the afternoon of October 4.
The teenager, who is unable to communicate verbally, is fascinated by trains, according to his family, and officials have shifted their search underground, a spokesman for the New York Police Department told CNN Sunday.
Searches of train stations, tracks and tunnels were also conducted late last week, according to Paul J. Fleuranges of the Metropolitan Transit Authority.

A $70,000 reward has been offered for Avonte's safe return.
David Perecman, the Oquendo family's attorney, told CNN last week that he is taking steps to investigate how Avonte was able to escape school grounds unsupervised.

"Right now, we have submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the city and the various agencies involved, in order to obtain the information for us to know what occurred," Perecman said.
 ::snipping3::

According to the surveillance video provided by the police department, no supervisor or monitor stopped the 14-year-old when he ran out.
"He is supposed to have one-to-one supervision at all times," Fontaine said through tears. "He has the mental capacity of a 7- or 8-year-old."
The New York City Department of Education issued a statement saying it is working closely with the police on the investigation.
The school is not commenting.

The Oquendo family filed a "notice of claim" Wednesday, said Perecman, marking the first step of a civil lawsuit against the city of New York. He declined to give further information regarding the claim.
Police say Avonte was last seen wearing a gray-striped shirt, black jeans and black sneakers. He is 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 125 pounds.
Missing posters are being handed out, and the surrounding areas are under investigation, WABC reported.
"He doesn't know that, you know, 'I can get hurt in the street, someone can grab me and take me.' He doesn't know that," Fontaine said Monday. "He doesn't know fear."

Anyone with information about Avonte is asked to contact the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. The public can also submit tips at Crime Stoppers website, nypdcrimestoppers.com or text to 274637(CRIMES), then enter TIP577.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57607995-504083/avonte-oquendo-missing-search-continues-for-autistic-nyc-boy-police-say-he-may-have-boarded-a-train-to-nj-or-beyond/
Avonte Oquendo Missing: Search continues for autistic NYC boy, police say he may have boarded a train to NJ or beyond
October 17, 2013

(http://i.imgur.com/yFm8SA7.jpg)
Avonte Oquendo, 14, autistic boy from Queens, NY has been missing since October 4, 2013. / CBS New York

(CBS/AP) NEW YORK - New York City's police commissioner says an autistic boy who walked out of a Queens school 12 days ago and hasn't been seen since may have taken a train to New Jersey or beyond.
Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Wednesday that the NYPD has expanded its search for 14-year-old Avonte Oquendo beyond the city. He says Avonte was fascinated with trains and may have gotten aboard one.

CBS New York reports a search party will scour train stations Thursday in an attempt to find the boy, whose family members say he is non-verbal and has the mental capacity of a 7-year-old.

Daniel Oquendo, Avonte's brother, told the station, "Maybe if he's not out in the street, then somebody does have him and I just hope that whoever does have my brother, they just give him up please so we can have him back."

Avonte was last seen leaving his school in Long Island City, NY on October 4. Police said a school safety officer who reportedly stopped Avonte as he tried to leave the school is not to blame.

According to Autism Speaks, a non-profit organization, wandering by children with autism is common, dangerous and puts tremendous stress on families.
 ::snipping3::

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/10/21/avonte-oquendos-mother-if-you-have-my-son-let-him-go/
Avonte Oquendo’s Mother: If You Have My Son, Let Him Go
Missing Autistic Teen From Queens Last Seen Oct. 4
October 21, 2013


NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – As of Monday, it had been 17 days since Avonte Oquendo was last seen, and concern grows every passing day.

As CBS 2’s Don Champion reported, the search for the autistic 14-year-old boy intensified even more on Monday.

Avonte was last seen on surveillance video walking out of the Center Boulevard School in Long Island City, Queens 17 days ago.
 ::snipping3::
Hundreds of volunteers have joined in the search for Avonte, hoping his mom’s personal message will bring him out of hiding.
On Monday, Avonte’s mom, Vanessa Fontaine, and his brother, Jason Oquendo, visited TV 10/55’s “The Couch” with family attorney, David Perecman.

Avonte’s family claims to be a tight-knit group. As Jason said, they are leaning on each other in this difficult time.

“It’s hard. I mean, every day we’re just supporting each other, trying to keep our spirits up, hoping to hear some good word. Try to smile, when we can,” he said. “It’s very tragic trying to find him, but we’re pulling together, just pulling along.”

Perecman said the family appreciates the large turnout of New Yorkers who have come out to lend a hand in the search for Avonte, but said they need more help.
 ::snipping3::
Avonte’s mom had a message for her son: “Mommy loves you, the family is here for you, and we’re going to find you.”

She also had words for anyone who may be with Avonte.

“If someone has my son, please be kind to him and let him go,” she said. “Put him in a public place full of people and let him go. Walk away.”

Meawnwhile, police helicopters scanned the riverbank near Avonte’s Long Island City school Monday. Hundreds of officers have been conducting air and ground searches in multiple locations – in an effort that Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said will soon be reevaluated.
“We’ll have to make adjustments as far as the deployment of the amount of resources we have probably during the week if we’re unsuccessful,” Kelly said.

But volunteers will not give up.

“He’s alive and we’re going to find him,” said volunteer Calvin Hunt.

So far, more than 6,700 people have helped with the search effort.

Volunteers are using signs and shirts to get the teen’s picture out while the NYPD is deploying school safety and other officers out on the streets in droves.

“Just the volunteers alone – everybody has been giving their 100 percent,” Hunt said.

The reward for Avonte’s safe return is up to $85,000. Cops have received more than 200 tips and have checked out 60 registered sex offenders in the Long Island City area.

The Oquendo family also has filed a notice of claim with the city, in the first step in filing a lawsuit.
Video at Link

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=9300345
Avonte Oquendo's mom: "My son is alive"
October 25, 2013

NEW YORK (WABC) -- "My son is alive," Avonte Oquendo's mother told reporters on Friday, reacting to NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly's comments that hope is fading that autistic teen will be found alive.

"There's no evidence that Avonte is not alive," family attorney David Perecman said, adding he was stunned by Kelly's remarks on Thursday night.

"I'm going to ask the commissioner not to make statements like that," Perecman said. "The family had no idea it was coming and they were really hurt when the statement was made."

Kelly's statement came during a brief interview with reporters.

"Obviously we have devoted a tremendous amount of resources to the search," he said. "Unfortunately, we are not hopeful that we're going to find this young man alive, but we are continuing our search."

Concerned perhaps that Kelly was suggesting the search may be scaled back, Perecman pressed for investigators to not scale back their search, but do things not yet attempted.

"The main purpose is to bring life and rejuvenate the effort as it gets cold to find Avonte," he said. "Anything that anyone says or does to dampen the effort to search for Avonte is inappropriate, reckless."

"I want them (police department) to continue searching," his mother, Vanessa, said.

"Hopefully, (Kelly's) comments will encourage more people to come out and volunteer," added his father, Daniel Oquendo, Sr.

The number of volunteers appears to be dwindling and the boy's family is encouraging people to please come out and help with the search. The National Action Network is gearing up for a major push this Sunday.

When interviewed by reporters Friday, the police commissioner changed his response.

"We are continuing to devote significant resources to the effort," Kelly said.

"Do you think he could still be alive?" a reporter asked.

"You know, we certainly hope so," Kelly said.

Kelly says investigators have chased down 450 leads and reviewed nearly 200 pieces of video, but so far none of it has led to Avonte.

Even as the temperatures start to plummet, Kelly said on Thursday that the search will still continue throughout the northeast and he encouraged anyone with information to contact police.

"We are continuing to put information out," he said. "We're talking to jurisdictions in the northeast quadrant of the United States. We ask anyone with any information to call our TIPS hotline."
 ::snipping3::

Police say Avonte was fascinated with trains and had previously turned up at subway stations after wandering off from home, so that is where investigators are focusing their energy.

Most recently, in August after he wandered away from home, family members ran to the 67th Avenue Station in Forest Hills where they found him.

Five years ago, he took the subway from Jamaica to Kew Gardens/Union Turnpike Station. Transit police found him that time. And seven years ago, he was found at the Fresh Pond Road Station in Ridgewood after wandering from home.

The reward for Avonte's safe return is up to nearly $90,000.

Video at Link

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/10/30/new-photo-shows-boy-resembling-avonte-oquendo-on-subway-train/
New Photo Shows Boy Resembling Avonte Oquendo On Subway Train
Autistic Teen's Parents Not Sure If Boy In Photo Is Their Son
October 30, 2013

(http://i.imgur.com/k1KnzEy.jpg)
Police on Wednesday were trying to determine whether a boy spotted on the subway a day before (left) could be missing teen Avonte Oquendo (right.) (Credit: CBS 2)

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The NYPD has sent out officers to investigate, after a teenager snapped a photo of someone resembling the missing autistic teen Avonte Oquendo.

The 13-year-old boy took the photo Tuesday on an E or F line train, police told CBS 2. It shows a boy in a rumpled beige jacket and green khaki pants sitting on a subway train looking straight ahead.

The teenage straphanger shared the photo on Facebook, and police tracked him down afterward. He told investigators he could not get the boy to engage in conversation.

Police said they have alerted transit officers to pay particular attention.
As CBS 2’s Dave Carlin reported, police experts and family members have said they could not be certain that the boy in the picture was Avonte. But they said it was a concrete lead and will be followed.

Avonte’s mother, Vanessa Fontaine, was not entirely convinced Wednesday night that the photo was of her child.

“I don’t celebrate yet, but I’m saying keep hope alive,” Fontaine said. “There’s hope there that it may be him.”

Avonte’s older brother expressed some optimism.

“We’ve seen a lot of photos turn out to be dead-ends and not him, but this one is like, probably the closest one,” older brother Anthony Fontaine said.

He continued: “It’s like maybe a 65 percent chance, you know, a possibility. It fits the description a little bit. We’re hoping it’s him.”

Family members said if it really is Avonte in the picture, it could only mean someone took care of him, bought him new clothes and put him on the train Tuesday.

Police sources said they have chased down close to 500 leads so far, and counting.

It will be four weeks this coming Friday since Avonte disappeared. His photo has been plastered all over the city, but no one has apparently seen him.
 ::snipping3::

Avonte was last spotted on surveillance video leaving the Center Boulevard School in Long Island City, Queens on Oct. 4.

Since then, all-out search efforts by the NYPD and hundreds of volunteers have not produced concrete clues.
 ::snipping3::
Video at Link

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2480764/Is-Avonte-Oquendo-Teen-seen-New-York-subway-looks-like-missing-autistic-boy.html
Could this be Avonte?: Teenager spotted riding New York subway alone bears striking likeness to autistic boy who has been missing for nearly one month
Family's hopes raised as they say photo is closest likeness yet to their son
Teenager who took photo says boy just stared straight ahead when asked for his name
October 30, 2013

(http://i.imgur.com/hdIOEde.jpg)
Lead: The boy in this picture, taken on the New York subway on Tuesday, bears a striking resemblance to missing teenager Avonte Oquendo

(http://i.imgur.com/RBduRgk.jpg)
Lost: Avonte was last seen leaving his school

(http://i.imgur.com/zy9kdww.jpg)
Hope: The possible sighting has been welcomed by the autistic teenager's family, who have been searching for him since October 4

A picture taken on a New York subway has given hope to the family of a 14-year-old boy with autism who has been missing since October 4.

The photo was taken by a teenager on Tuesday afternoon who said the boy didn't answer when asked if he was Avonte Oquendo.

Several reported sightings have been made of Avonte, who can't communicate verbally, but the latest picture has been described by his frantic family as the closest likeness yet.

Daniel Oquendo told the Daily News he was hesitant to say the boy in the photo was his son, but added: 'It's a close likeness'.


He said: 'We need to get a better look to really tell. If we could find the individual who took the picture, that would help big time.'

The teenager who took the photo said the boy on the subway, who was traveling alone, looked like pictures of Avonte that have been plastered across New York since he left his Long Island City school.

When he asked the boy if he was Avonte, the subway passenger just stared ahead - a reaction common in those with autism.

The teenager took the boy's photo but didn't report the sighting to authorities because he wasn't supposed to be on the train, according to Newsday.

Officials found out about the sighting after the picture was posted on to Facebook.

'Maybe somebody just put him on the train, just to give him up,' Mr Oquendo said, adding that his son had a fascination with trains. 'He was dressed differently, so it's obvious somebody's been taking care of him - if that's him.'

When Avonte went missing he was wearing a gray striped shirt, black jeans and black sneakers. The boy pictured on the subway on Tuesday was in an oversized tan coat
 ::snipping3::
Avonte's older brother, Anthony, told CBS New York: 'We’ve seen a lot of photos turn out to be dead-ends and not him, but this one is like, probably the closest one.'

The family capped the reward offered to find Avonte at $95,000 after concerns that it may delay finding him if he is being held by someone who is seeking a ransom.

http://www.kvue.com/news/national/230022381.html
NYPD: Photo is not that of missing autistic teen
October 31, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police have determined that a photo of a boy riding a subway train is not that of an autistic boy missing for nearly a month.
A 13-year-old snapped the picture Tuesday and later posted it on his Facebook page.
Authorities said Thursday that the boy shown in the photo went with his mother to see police.
The boy resembles 14-year-old Avonte Oquendo (ah-VAHN'-tay oh-KEHN'-doh), who was last seen on Oct. 4 walking out of his Queens school.
 ::snipping3::

I didn't think so, the ear lobes didn't look the same to me.  Sure wish he'd be found!  ::MonkeyTears::

ITA about the ear lobes Klaas.  After being here at SM and doing photo comparisons and watching & reading other's opinions on the subject, the ears can be very telling if you know what I mean.  Ears/earlobes are a very distinct feature.  JMHO

From his mother's appeal, Avonte's family seems to believe someone may be holding him and I can't blame them for hoping he is still alive and can be found.  It's a big, big scary world out there, though and the odds aren't good with each passing hour.    ::MonkeyNoNo::  I hope Avonte can be found safe.  It's time for a miracle.

 ::rhino::

I hope Avonte is found safe and soon. But you are right Muffy it doesn't look good the longer he is missing. I thought the same thing Klaas the ears weren't the same close but not Avonte.  Prayers for Avonte and his family.

This article is a few weeks old.

http://texasequusearch.org/2013/10/the-family-of-avonte-oquendo-has-requested-the-help-of-texas-equusearch/
The family of Avonte Oquendo has requested the help of Texas EquuSearch
Posted on 17. Oct, 2013 by vologon in Active Cases, Featured Articles, TES In Action

 :smt038 :bigup:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Avonte-Home/414437158656906 (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Avonte-Home/414437158656906)

Bring Avonte Home
Yesterday

MESSAGE FROM AVONTE'S BROTHER DANNY: It has now been a full month...Each day that passes without Avonte being found is more devastating than the previous. I still feel your energy Avonte, I know you are out there somewhere. It has been near impossible to check and discern the thousands of leads from bystanders, volunteers, psychics, "prophets", and pranksters..but we are trying and we aren't giving up. I wish this upon no family ever. Our lives will never be the same. Miss and love you Avonte. Thank you volunteers for your continued help. Some of you have even taken the liberty to defend my family from many of these ill-mannered and hateful comments we receive...Thank you. Let us all please work hard on searching for and spreading the awareness about my little brother. Nothing would make me more thankful than to see him at our dinner table for Thanksgiving.... God bless.

i dont know if the school is a city public or a specific school for autistic kids, but
it seems the safety procs need a review


New York City Still Can't Find A Non-Verbal 14-Year-Old Boy After His School Lost Him
Erin FuchsNov. 5, 2013, 7:12 PM
 ::snipping3::
We spoke with David Perecman, a New York personal injury lawyer who's representing the mother of 14-year-old Avonte Oquendo in a legal action against the city that lost her son on Oct. 4.
 
Oquendo, who can't speak, disappeared sometime after lunch at The Riverview School in Queens that day. When he left the building, a security guard reportedly asked him where he was going but didn't stop him. However, the school's worst offense wasn't losing him in the first place, Perecman told Business Insider. He says the school waited 45 minutes to call the police and another 15 to call the boy's parents.
  ::snipping3::
"When administrators make a decision on a higher level not to call the police ... There's a lot of words for that," Perecman told BI. "... They could have found him within those 45 minutes."

Instead, Perceman said, teachers were "running around" the neighborhood looking for the boy. "Imagine how pissed off you would be if you were this child's mother," he said. "I am not his father, and I know how pissed I am."
 
Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott has said the boy's disappearance has spurred schools to evaluate emergency protocols, The New York Times reported.
 ::snipping3::

Police have scoured the city for the boy, making announcements over the subway loudspeakers, checking buildings, and even looking in trash cans, according to The New York Times. Police commissioner Ray Kelly recently enraged the boy's family when he suggested the boy was dead, The Times reported.
 
“Unfortunately, we are not hopeful that we’re going to find this young man alive, but we are continuing our search," Kelly told WABC-TV on Oct. 24.

http://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-cant-find-avonte-oquendo-2013-11

Unfortunately, I don't either  ::MonkeyNoNo:: ::MonkeyTears::

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Avonte-Home/414437158656906 (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bring-Avonte-Home/414437158656906)

Bring Avonte Home
22 hours ago

LOOK UP TOMORROW! A generous friend of Bring Avonte Home has arranged for a plane to carry a banner over Queens with the message: "BRING AVONTE OQUENDO HOME 1-800-577-TIPS"! The banner will fly over the East River and Queens tomorrow, Sunday, November 10th between 1:00 & 2:00 PM. If you are in the area, look up! Take pictures and share on social media to keep Avonte's story out there! Spread the word! Thank you all for your continued support.

The odds are really stacked against Avonte being found alive.   ::MonkeyNoNo:: 

Nutt I am confused. The teen found in Ohio is a 19 year old named Michael Karwan not the 14 year old Avonte  Oquendo. Not the same young men.

So glad that Michael was found safe.

I am confused too...that happens a lot with me...will fix it.

It's really sad there are so many people missing that their cases sometimes overlap or we get them mixed up because they are so similar.  Too many missing and endangered.   ::MonkeyNoNo::  It seems like we've been seeing more cases of children with autism reported missing, elders with dementia wandering away and cases of persons with physical or mental challenges reported missing.   They are our most vulnerable.  Thank you for all you do Nut.   ::MonkeyKiss::  Stay warm and have a Happy Thanksgiving. 

The odds of Avonte being found safe aren't good, yet there's always the sweet glimmer of hope. 

 ::rhino::

Thanks   ::buzzbee3:: and GE

MISS U Muffy  ::MonkeyMad:: lol

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/arm-washes-queens-article-1.1582711
Cops investigate human arm, legs found near Queens shoreline for link to missing teen Avonte Oquendo
The limbs were found near Powell's Cove Blvd. and Endeavor Place in College Point about 7 p.m., police sources said. A sneaker also was found, the sources said, but they could not say whether it belongs to the autistic 14-year-old boy, who went missing more than three months ago.
January 17, 2013

(paid subscription)

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2014/01/human_remains_found_in_queens_police_notified_family_of_missing_nyc_boy_with_autism.html
Human remains found in Queens; family of missing NYC autistic teen notified, report says
January 17, 2014

Authorities in Queens are investigating human remains found next to the East River, WABC-TV reports.

Sources tell Eyewitness News that police have notified the family of 14-year-old Avonte Oquendo, a missing boy with autism who disappeared in October, about the investigation.

The remains found Thursday evening around 7 p.m. were said to be a human arm and legs and were found on a rock in the water near the College Point Yacht Club, the report said. Police responded to a 911 call after a 14-year-old girl stumbled across the body parts.

Helicopters searched the waters for additional body parts but the search had to be suspended when the tide quickly came in, the report said. The search resumed at daybreak.

Avonte's mother, Vanessa, is skeptical the remains found belong to her son, according to a report from Pix 11 news.
 ::snipping3::

http://www.sfgate.com/news/us/article/NY-remains-could-be-missing-autistic-teen-5151862.php
NY remains could be missing autistic teen
January 17, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Police were investigating whether human remains found along the shore of New York City's East River could be those of an autistic teen who walked out of his school and vanished more than three months ago, a law enforcement official said Friday.

A person shooting photos discovered what looked like an arm on Thursday, said the official, who had direct knowledge of the case.

Police also found a torso and legs in the water, along with a dark-colored shoe and clothes resembling what the boy was last seen wearing, said the official, who was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
 ::snipping3::
Missing person posters were plastered on lampposts and placed on car windshields throughout the city. The teen, who did not speak, was fascinated with the subway system and Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials made announcements on trains for weeks asking for help finding him. Police checked every subway station and tunnel.

Authorities also hunted down hundreds of tips in New York City and suburbs. Despite a few false alarms, including an image of a person snapped on a train that resembled the boy, he has not been located.

But authorities are not clear whether the remains found Thursday belong to the missing teen. They were discovered at least 11 miles driving distance from his school.

The family's lawyer, David Perecman, said he spoke to Avonte's mother, Vanessa Fontaine, around 2 a.m. He said she was considering the discovery to be just another tip until she hears something more definitive.

The remains were removed to the Queens County Morgue and will be examined by the medical examiner's office to determine an identification and cause of death, and that may take several days, police said. Detectives and water units were at the site early Friday searching for any additional evidence.
 ::snipping3::

Are the Skeletal Remains Discovered Washed Up on a Beach Near East River in Queens, NY That of Missing Avonte Oquendo?

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2014/01/17/are-the-skeletal-remains-discovered-washed-up-on-a-beach-near-easr-river-in-queens-ny-that-of-missing-avonte-oquendo/

::snipping3::

Extremely sad, looks like it is  Avonte Oquendo from all accounts.

One of the sad state of affairs of today's society is that I read that the girl who found the remains actually was posting this on social media before she called 911.  ::MonkeyTears:: Head shaking.

Thoughts are with the family.

NYPD: Clothing with body similar to that of Avonte Oquendo, missing autistic teen
Originally published: January 17, 2014 7:10 AM
Updated: January 17, 2014 1:03 PM

 ::snipping3::

That clothing includes a Nike sneaker, blue jeans and tube socks found with the remains, which were discovered along the East River near Powell Cove Boulevard and Endeavor Place in College Point, by a 14-year-old girl who was at the water's edge trying to take a photograph, police said.

The remains included a body from the waist down, along with the legs, and an arm that was found separately, police said. Reported in a 911 call at 7:16 p.m., the remains were recovered by officers from the 109th Precinct.

A police investigator told Newsday that the dismembered state of the remains is not consistent with natural decomposition -- but indicates a more purposeful act.

 ::snipping3::


http://www.newsday.com/news/new-york/nypd-clothing-with-body-similar-to-that-of-avonte-oquendo-missing-autistic-teen-1.6819068

Cops investigate human arm, legs found near Queens shoreline for link to missing teen Avonte Oquendo
PUBLISHED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2014, 12:49 AM
UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2014, 9:45 AM

(http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1582756.1389956462!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/arm-map-1.jpg)

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/arm-washes-queens-article-1.1582711

 ::MonkeyNoNo::

It's really, really sad.   ::MonkeyNoNo::

OMG how horrible  ::MonkeyTears::

 ::MonkeyNoNo:: ::MonkeyTears::

wondering if the remains had been, cut up by a boat motor, the east river is tricky

some info on the east river
http://www.offshoreblue.com/cruising/east-river.php
remains found
http://goo.gl/maps/4DZ96

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/avonte-oquendo-family-cling-hope-await-dna-tests-article-1.1584161
Avonte Oquendo’s family cling to hope, await DNA tests as cops find second arm in Queens
Members of the NYPD’s Harbor Unit recover a second arm and some human tissue as the NYC medical examiner works to identify body parts, items discovered on the banks of the East River to determine if they belong to the autistic boy who disappeared from his school Oct. 4.
Published January 18, 2014
Updated January 19, 2014

The family of autistic teen Avonte Oquendo, despite mounting proof to the contrary, refused to abandon their long-shot hopes of seeing the lost boy alive once more.

The city medical examiner was working Saturday with the remains recovered over three days to determine the identity of the body discovered on the Queens banks of the East River....
 ::snipping3::

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/17/avonte-oquendo_n_4616470.html
Human Remains Found On Queens Beach Might Be Avonte Oquendo's
Published January 17, 2014, Updated January 18, 2014

 ::snipping3::
Detectives were not sure whether the remains found Thursday belonged to the missing teen. The remains were found at least 11 miles from where he was last seen, considerably upriver and east of the park near Avonte's school.

One investigative theory was that Avonte fell into the river near the school. Although the remains were found upriver, past densely-populated shoreline under the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge and Rikers Island jail, the East River is a tidal strait with strong currents that reverse flow many times a day.

The family's lawyer, David Perecman, said he spoke to Avonte's mother, Vanessa Fontaine, around 2 a.m. He said she was considering the discovery to be just another tip until she hears something more definitive.

Perecman said the family will wait for DNA test results, and police have the teen's father's DNA on file. He confirmed that the jeans and size 5 1/2 sneakers found on the remains resembled what Avonte was wearing when he was last seen. But the remains were badly decomposed.
 ::snipping3::

 :2thinky: 

http://nypost.com/2014/01/20/missing-teens-family-fears-foul-play-after-strange-underwear-found/
Missing teen’s family fears foul play after strange underwear found
January 20, 2013

A lawyer for Avonte Oquendo’s family suspects foul play may have had a role in the boy’s disappearance because underwear found on a body is not the kind the missing boy wore.
Only a DNA match — expected this week — will confirm if the decomposed remains found on a northern Queens beach are those of the Long Island City teen missing since Oct. 4.
But the family’s lawyer, David Perecman, said he is concerned about the large Fruit of the Loom underwear found, since Avonte didn’t wear “large” and wore only Hanes.
“If it is him, what that indicates to me is that something happened,” Perecman said. “Someone got a hold of him, moved him. I can’t say they harmed him, but why would the underwear have gotten changed?”
 ::snipping3::

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=9396907

Parents of missing teen Avonte Oquendo await tests
Updated at 09:18 PM today

COLLEGE POINT (WABC) -- The tense wait continues for the parents of Avonte Oquendo, as the medical examiner conducts DNA tests on human remains found in the East River to determine whether they are those of the missing autistic teenager.

Police divers found a skull Sunday in the waters off College Point, Queens.

The Oquendo family is holding on to hope while they wait for the test results, which are expected by Wednesday.

Over the weekend, a second arm and teeth were recovered from the river, along with clothes matching those worn by Avonte.

The 14-year-old was last seen on video tape walking out of his school in Long Island City in October.

Previous remains, said to be a human arm, legs, ribs and a pelvic bone, were found on a rock in the water near the College Point Yacht Club around 7 p.m. Thursday, about 11 miles from where Avonte was last seen.

Police responded to a 911 call in the vicinity of Powell Cove Boulevard and Endeavor Place after a 14-year-old girl stumbled across the limbs.

The remains were taken to a morgue, where the medical examiner's office will try to identify them and determine a cause of death.

A pair of sneakers and jeans were found that matched what Avonte when he disappeared. They are the same sizes that Avonte wore.

The family's attorney, David Perecman, says DNA tests will provide the final say and that relatives are not counting on anything until that determination has been made, however hope is quickly fading.

"It's not Avonte until the DNA evidence comes in and says it is," Perecman said. "On the other hand, it's not looking great. Maybe it's possible it will be some sort of closure."

 ::snipping3::

https://twitter.com/NBCNewYork (https://twitter.com/NBCNewYork)
NBC New York ‏@NBCNewYork 10m

#BREAKING: Body parts found along the East River in Queens matched by DNA to missing teen Avonte Oquendo http://4.nbcny.com/FkJAh3b
View summary

 ::MonkeyTears::

A very sad outcome.   ::MonkeyNoNo:: 

 ::MonkeyNoNo:: ::MonkeyAngel::

 ::MonkeyNoNo:: ::MonkeyTears::

Just horrible, such a precious young man. 

Rest in peace, Avonte.   ::MonkeyAngel::

I hope and pray you will have justice.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=9401947

Avonte Oquendo remains identified, officials say
Updated at 05:11 PM today

COLLEGE POINT (WABC) -- DNA has confirmed the remains found in Queens are Avonte Oquendo, the Medical Examiner says. His family has been informed.

Qquendo's mother was notified early Tuesday afternoon, officials said. The cause and manner of death are pending

Attorney David Perecman says he will file the legal claim on behalf of the family of Avonte Oquendo, whose remains were found at the edge of the East River last week. Perecman says Avonte's mother, Vanessa Fontaine, is inconsolable.

The remains found last week along the East River - a left arm and lower torso and legs - were identified through DNA given by his family.

 ::snipping3::

Rest In Peace Avonte ::MonkeyAngel::

DNA Tests Confirm the Remains Found on Queens side of the East River are that of Missing 14 Year Old Avonte Oquendo

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2014/01/22/dna-tests-confirm-the-remains-found-on-queens-side-of-the-east-river-are-that-of-missing-14-year-old-avonte-oquendo/

::snipping3::

A gut-wrenching sad outcome to what looks like a situation that should never have occurred. Prayers go out to the grieving family. I am not a sue happy person, but in this case the family would be justified.

There has been such a rash over the past year or so of individuals with autism going missing. Note to adults ... ACT RESPONSIBLE, THEY NEED YOUR HELP!!!

This precious young man deserved so much better. God Bless you Avonte.  ::MonkeyAngel::

http://www.ageofautism.com/2014/01/rest-in-peace-avonte-oquendo.html
Rest In Peace Avonte Oquendo
January 22, 2014

(http://i.imgur.com/KpgMWTV.png)

Managing Editor's Note: Yesterday a news alert came in - the remains found in NY had been positively identified as Avonte Oquendo, missing 14 year old with autism who ran out of his school unsupervised (but not unseen) by staff.  We've been praying for his return since October 4, when he vanished into thin air - not an easy feat in congested Queens, NY.  Most of us whispered under our breath, "Water, go to the water, he went to the water."  Well, today we have his return - not what we wanted - but as a Mother, I think there must be some comfort in being able to bury your child and know you can still watch over him, even in death. To the Oquendo family, our heartfelt condolences. There but for the grace of God and a stroke of luck go most of us and our precious children.  RIP, Avonte.  Love, Kim  Send condolence cards to:

The Perecman Firm
Attn: The Oquendo Family
250 West 57th Street
4th Floor
New York, NY 10107

More...

http://pix11.com/2014/01/23/plans-announced-for-funeral-of-avonte-oquendo/
Plans announced for funeral of Avonte Oquendo
January 23, 2014



NEW YORK (PIX11) – The family of Avonte Oquendo has announced plans for the boy’s funeral.

In what will be private ceremonies at both a funeral home and a church, the family will first gather on  Saturday for a wake between  9 and 10:30 a.m. at the Greenwich Village Funeral Home, at 199 Bleecker St. The funeral will follow at the Church of  St. Joseph at 371 Sixth Ave.  from 11 a.m. to noon.

Avonte’s remains will be cremated.

The family will then meet for a lunch at Astoria World Manor to celebrate Avonte’s life.

The public can send condolences by visiting the funeral home’s website.  ::snipping3::
Online funeral home's condolence form:
http://greenwichvillagefuneralhome.com/footer_headline/send-condolences-to-a-family/

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/final-rites-set-avonte-oquendo-article-1.1589662
Final rites set after four-month search for Avonte Oquendo ends in tragedy
A wake for the autistic 14-year-old will be held 9 a.m. Saturday at the Greenwich Village Funeral Home on Bleecker St. A funeral Mass for the boy, who went missing in October and whose remains were positively confirmed Tuesday, will take place 11 a.m. at St. Joseph Church on Sixth Ave.
January 23, 2014

http://pix11.com/2014/01/23/doe-refusing-to-release-documents-in-avonte-oquendo-investigation-report/
Avonte Oquendo’s mom suing city to release investigation records
January 24, 2014

NEW YORK (PIX11) — The mother of Avonte Oquendo is suing the city to release investigation records in her son’s disappearance from his Long Island City school.

Vanessa Fontaine filed the suit in Manhattan Supreme Court Wednesday, demanding the NYPD release of internal documents into how Avonte was able to run out of his school and seemingly vanish without a trace.

Avonte was last seen on surveillance video running from the school through an unlocked door last October. The initial investigation found the school waited 45 to an hour after Avonte vanished before contacting his mother or the police.
 ::snipping3::
Fontaine’s original Freedom of Information request was denied, with the Department of Education saying the release would interfere with the investigation and could potentially be an “invasion of privacy” and “endanger the life or safety” of a person.

“All that is sought is information about how Avonte came to be outside of his school unattended. Such information does not give rise to any legitimate concern about the privacy of Avonte,” family attorney David Perecman said.

Perecman told PIX11 Tuesday he believes there is more surveillance video highlighting the school’s negligence that have not been released.
 
A larger civil lawsuit against the city is expected to be field in Avonte’s death.
More...
Video at Link

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local/new_york&id=9406939
Funeral services Saturday for Avonte Oquendo
January 25, 2014

Video at Link

http://www.foxbaltimore.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/funeral-held-autistic-nyc-boy-vanished-24930.shtml
Funeral Held for Autistic NYC Boy Who Vanished
January 25, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) - Strangers who helped try to find an autistic New York City teen who walked out of his school and disappeared joined his family and friends Saturday for his funeral, somberly marking the tragic end of their three-month search. The former Roman Catholic archbishop of New York, Cardinal Edward Egan, presided over the ceremony at the Church of Saint Joseph as 14-year-old Avonte Oquendo's parents and brothers sat stoically in a front pew, next to a white casket holding the remains pulled from the East River last week. "This morning we are grateful to God for Avonte Oquendo, for his life, for his courage, and for the acts of goodness and kindness that his life and his tragic disappearance evoked among us," Egan said. "We know that he is safely in the embrace of the father in heaven and we thank that father in heaven for the years we had with him in our midst."
 ::snipping3::

A funeral home covered the costs of the funeral and a family-only wake beforehand, where about a hundred relatives sat together in a room full of white flowers watching a slideshow of the teen's photos. "Nobody really wanted to speak," said Roberto Colon, 49, whose wife's cousin is Avonte's mother. "We couldn't fathom what to say." Investigators are still trying to determine how Avonte died and further tests are needed to determine the cause and manner of death, officials have said. The family's lawyer, David Perecman, filed a notice of claim in October, the first step in suing the city, and has publically listed a number of mistakes he alleges contributed to the boy's disappearance and what he has described as a flawed search effort. The city's law department has called the boy's death a tragedy and said its attorneys will review a lawsuit when it's filed.
More...
Read More at: http://www.foxbaltimore.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/funeral-held-autistic-nyc-boy-vanished-24930.shtml

http://theforumnewsgroup.com/2014/01/31/after-avonte-oquendo-tragedy-feds-agree-to-fund-tracking-program-for-children-with-autism/
AFTER AVONTE OQUENDO TRAGEDY, FEDS AGREE TO FUND TRACKING PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM
January 31, 2014

The U.S. Department of Justice agreed Wednesday to fund voluntary tracking devices for children with autism who are prone to fleeing caregivers and schools, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) announced.

The new plan comes after Schumer pushed for it following the death of Avonte Oquendo, a 14-year-old teen with autism who disappeared from his Long Island City school in October and whose remains were discovered in College Point about two weeks ago.

“The sights and sounds of NYC and other busy places can be overstimulating and distracting for children and teens with autism, often leading to wandering as ways to escape,” said Schumer, who stressed that the program would be entirely voluntary for parents. “Voluntary tracking devices will help our teachers and parents in the event that the child runs away and, God forbid, goes missing. [The] DOJ already funds these devices for individuals with Alzheimer’s, and they have done the right thing in deciding to the do the same for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.”

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder made the commitment to the tracking program during a Congressional hearing this morning, following an announcement earlier this week that Schumer would introduce “Avonte’s Law” to create and fund an entirely new grant program with the DOJ that would provide this type of funding.
 ::snipping3::
Autism Speaks President Liz Feld said that the “tragic fate of Avonte Oquendo hit home with parents in New York and across the country.

“The incidence of wandering has reached frightening levels and individuals with autism are especially vulnerable,” Feld continued. ‘We need to raise awareness and increase education so that tragedies like this never happen again.”
 ::snipping3::
According to a study conducted by the Interactive Autism Network and AWAARE, 49 percent of children and teens with autism attempt to run or wander. Of those, 53 percent of the children were missing long enough to cause serious concern.

According to AWAARE and the National Autism Association, of the individuals who run, 74 percent run from their own home or someone else house, 40 percent wander from stores, and 29 percent from schools. Close calls with traffic injuries were reported for 65 percent of the missing children, and close calls with drowning were reported for 24 percent.

Tracking technology includes personal locating devices that can be worn as non-tampering wristwatches, anklets, or clipped onto belt loops or shoelaces. When users of the device are missing, the caregiver or school system can notify the device company and a trained emergency team responds to the area.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2548245/Tragic-new-video-shows-moment-dead-autistic-teen-Avonte-Oquendo-runs-school-doors-left-ajar-30-minutes.html
Revealed: The moment tragic autistic teen Avonte ran out of school through doors that were left ajar for 30 minutes
January 29, 2014

*  The surveillance video captures the 14-year-old autistic boy escaping from his Queens school only to turn up dead in the East River months later
*  An energetic Avonte is seen in the footage bounding down the halls of his Long Island City special needs school and out of the double doors
*  Half an hour earlier, an unidentified man exits, carelessly leaving them ajar
*  Three minutes after Avonte disappears, a security guard noticed the doors are open and pulls them shut

Story, videos and photos...

http://www.ny1.com/content/news/202925/avonte-oquendo-s-family-thanks-volunteers-for-support
Avonte Oquendo’s Family Thanks Volunteers for Support
February 2, 2014

With the Whitestone Bridge as a backdrop, they held hands in College Point Saturday to remember a life lost too soon. The pain was still visible on the faces of Avonte Oquendo's family.

Despite that, they wanted to personally thank everyone who prayed and searched for their 14-year-old boy.

"We just came out here to give thanks to everybody for the support and for the love,” said Daniel Oquendo, Avonte’s father.
 ::snipping3::

Video at Link