Hilda Vasquez, the mother of 12-year-old Bryan Vasquez, whose body was found in a New Orleans East lagoon, will remain jailed without bond, as decided in a recent court hearing. The 34-year-old woman is facing charges of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and negligent homicide. According to court records cited by NOLA.com, the decision was made following revelations from three sustained investigations by the Louisiana Department of Child and Family Services, including an incident earlier this year where Vasquez and her youngest of three surviving children tested positive for cocaine.
New details have emerged regarding the case, including the fact that both Vasquez and her newborn tested positive for cocaine at the hospital in July. This information was disclosed during the bond hearing by the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office, FOX 8 Live reported. In addition, the Orleans Parish Coroner’s office concluded that Bryan Vasquez was attacked and drowned by an alligator after wandering unsupervised, leading to a nearly two-week search before his body was discovered late last month.
While the defense argued that Vasquez is not a threat to the community and highlighted her signing of protective orders that prohibit her from contacting her children, the judge countered by emphasizing the seriousness of the charges and the welfare of Vasquez's three minor children. WDSU included statements from the state indicating Bryan became special needs after a severe beating by Vasquez at three months old, suggesting a history of abuse.
The public defender, Madison Orway, argued before the court that Vasquez, now held in Plaquemines Parish Jail, has not been convicted of any crimes for over a decade and has lived in South Louisiana for 15 years. "She’s not a threat to the community," Orway said, and "expressed a desire to resolve the case," as per WDSU. However, the prosecutor highlighted Vasquez's criminal history and raised concerns about the potential threat she could pose to her children, leading to the court's decision to deny bail.
