WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP, Butler County — The non-verbal 6-year-old boy who was missing over 24 hours ago has been found dead in a pond, West Chester police said.
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According to the Butler County coroner, he died from drowning.
Police said family members reported Joshua Al-Lateef Jr. missing around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
“Tonight, we grieve with them,” officials said in a press conference Thursday night.
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West Chester police said the Al-Lateef was dropped off in the area earlier that day by his bus driver. He was with his adult sister before he went missing.
Officials quickly began searching the area near his home on Wyndtree Drive.
Multiple agencies, including the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Texas Equusearch, Buckeye SAR, several Cincinnati-area agencies, and hundreds of community volunteers helped search.
Family members told officials that Joshua liked the water.
Officials said there are eight retention ponds near Joshua’s home. Crews searched two Wednesday night and five more on Thursday morning.
Crews located Joshua’s body during an additional search on Thursday.
Additional information was not immediately available.
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