Body of Missing Massachusetts Girl with Autism Found in Neighbor’s Pool, Police Say
"There are no words that we can offer to help ease the heartache our residents our feelings [now]. We are so incredibly sorry," Sutton Police said of the incident
Sutton Police Department
Police in Massachusetts shared this photo of Eva, a missing 4-year-old girl whose body was discovered in a neighbor's pool on July 11A search for a missing 4-year-old Massachusetts girl with autism concluded with the discovery of her body in a neighbor’s pool on Thursday, July 11, according to police.
In an earlier Facebook post shared that afternoon, Sutton Police announced it was searching for a girl named Eva in the Peachtree Drive area of Sutton.
“There’s a heavy police and fire presence as we search for this young girl. If you see her, please call 9-1-1 to alert us,” authorities wrote at the time.
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More than two hours after that announcement, the police posted another message on Facebook saying that they were no longer asking for the public’s help to find Eva and thanked those who assisted in the search.
Then on the morning of Friday, July 12, Sutton Police shared a statement from the office of Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. confirming Eva’s death.
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“At 3:50 p.m. Thursday, the Sutton Police Department received a 911 call reporting a 4-year-old girl had gone missing from her home,” read the district attorney’s statement. “A short time later, the girl was found in a neighbor’s pool, unresponsive. Emergency personnel transported her to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester where she was pronounced deceased.”
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In the same posting, police called the last 12 hours “difficult” for first responders and families in the town of Sutton, located in Worcester County.
“There are no words that we can offer to help ease the heartache our residents our feelings [now]. We are so incredibly sorry,” Sutton Police said.
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No additional details were offered. Police also said that they will not make further statements about the case to the press out of respect for the girl’s family.
At the time of the search, troopers, K9 patrols and an action team arrived at the scene, ABC affiliate WCVB reported.
A neighbor, Randa Tawadros, said, per FOX affiliate WFXT, “Oh my God, my heart my stomach, I couldn’t think I couldn’t breathe. I had a panic… All I could think is if this were my kid.”
NBC affiliate WBTS reported that the girl’s family is devastated and will not comment at the present moment, according to a resident on July 12.
In an email to PEOPLE on July 12, the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office said it has no additional information about the incident other than the previous statement shared by Sutton Police.
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