The search continues tonight for missing 4-year-old Oscar Velasquez. It has now been well over 48 hours since the boy disappeared from an area near his home in the Antelope Street Extension Area. Keith Swift reports tonight on how an entire community has joined the search for Oscar.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Today flyers bearing the face of missing 4-year-old Oscar Velasquez were put up around his neighborhood and around other major areas of the city. All of this is in a consorted and even desperate effort to find the boy who has been missing now for more than 48 hours.
Jorge Velasquez, Oscar's Father
"Today I went to Angelus Press and one of my friends get some posters for me, for my son, and we hope to put them up by the water taxi place, by Novelo's, by hospital, and by Immigration. I'll go to Immigration, take some to the police station, and put them and see what people will say and whatever they see they could just call the police or call me."
Emmanuel Willoughby, Neighbor
"We trying to put posters on the lampposts to try help the people them because it is my sister's nephew so I am trying to help."
And after distributing flyers along with Jorge this morning, early this afternoon Emmanuel Willoughby was part of a large group of area residents who formed a search party comprising young men, young women, children, and even dogs along with the mother and father.
They fearlessly entered the New Creek Lagoon, a vast expanse of mangrove thickets and stagnant water infested with crocodiles. But even that was no deterrent for these searchers, after all a 4-year-old boy is missing. They set out on these makeshift canoes, made from scrap refrigerators and a huge block of styrofoam.
Kareem Theus: This is called the New Creek right and basically, when this place was just set up and thing this whole place was a creek. We don't mind to search for the young boy in there.
KS: You are just back from searching; did you find anything?
Kareem Theus: Well what happened we didn't find anything but what happened this is just one area we searched. This is not the only area we will
search. We will search a next area right across there where some crocodile are because we hear young boy comes back here too so we don't really know. We will search across there too.
KS: When will you give up?
Kareem Theus: We will never give up until we find young boy because like said, it could be my child, it could be your child, it could be anybody child so we will never give up until we find young boy. We are not saying young boy dead, maybe somebody have young boy so if anybody have young boy and thing they could give the parents a call or whoever a call. But I really want the young boy come back to his family because like I said it could be anybody's child.
Roy Pitter: It could have happened to mines to or any other of my family so I am supporting the young lady to help her find her kid check.
KS: You've been out there for about half hour, did you find anything?
Roy Pitter: No, no sign or nothing.
KS: What exactly is this you were out there paddling in?
Roy Pitter: This is a refrig, right. This is a refrigerator, our hard core boat.
KS: How safe is it for you to be on the water in this?
Roy Pitter: This (is) cool once you could handle it. Once you could balance no problem. If you can't balance then you will flip over.
KS: You are not afraid of alligator?
Roy Pitter: We just meet one back there.
KS: Why is participating in this search important for you?
Roy Pitter: As I said it could have happened to mines. I have 9 of them so it could have happened to mines or any one of mines or my family check so I have to support.
And as these residents searched for Oscar, while actively flirting with danger in the lagoon, the mother watched hoping her son would not be found, at least not here.
Maria Sanchez, Oscar's Mother
"I just hope they don't find in there…I just…I don't know what to say. I just hope they don't find him out there 'cause…I want them to find him yes but not out there in that area."
Keith Swift,
Speak about how the community has joined in the search. Did the support surprise you?
Maria Sanchez,
"I really appreciate what they are doing and everything but I don't know what to say. I am going to look over that side to see what I could find."
Keith Swift,
Is there any reason why you are not out there personally searching?
Maria Sanchez,
"I don't know what to say."
The other parent was searching. After an hour in the New Creek, Oscar's father Jorge emerged.
Jorge Velasquez,
"So far we haven't found anything yet. We check all the creeks and we going to check the Burial Ground now. We will keep searching see what we can do or find."
And as the community is united to find Oscar Velasquez it seems so are these feuding parents. Today Jorge and Maria committed to set aside their differences to help find their son.
Keith Swift,
Have you guys been able to put your differences aside and realize that you need to work together to find your son?
Maria Sanchez,
"Yes we think about that already and just left that aside. Right now the most important thing is to find my son back."
Jorge Velasquez,
"Yes that's what we want. We want get our son together back and try our best for them."
The parents united along with a community to find Oscar.
The search was called off before sunset and they came up with nothing. For their part, police say they have canvassed the area and have interviewed witnesses. They add that they have issued an all points bulletin for Oscar Velasquez. If you have seen him, you are asked to contact the nearest police station or call 911.
