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As questions swirl surrounding his final moments, funeral services for eight-year-old Lionel ‘Leo’ Ramirez Cervantes have been scheduled for tomorrow evening (September 17, 2024) in Greenville, South Carolina.
“Despite his short time on this earth, Leo brought immense happiness to his family, especially his sister and brothers, and enjoyed playing superheroes, dressing up in costumes, and creating comics,” Cervantes’ obituary noted. “His innocence and laughter brightened every room he entered, leaving a lasting impression on all who had the privilege of knowing him.
According to local school and law enforcement officials, Cervantes – who was on the autism spectrum – was reported missing at approximately 11:10 a.m. EDT by staff at Bells Crossing elementary school in Simpsonville last Thursday (September 12, 2024). Within thirty minutes of that notification, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) posted an appeal to social media enlisting the public’s help in trying to locate the second-grader.
Approximately four hours after eloping from the school, Cervantes’ body was found by GCSO dive team members in a pond in a residential neighborhood located roughly 1,200 feet from the school. Deputies were led to the pool by K9 officers who were tracking Cervantes after he “eluded” staff and Bells Crossing.
“Negligence caused his death,” his mother, Dalia Cervantes, wrote on Facebook just hours after losing her son.
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Services for Cervantes will be held at Thomas McAfee funeral home in northwest Greenville on Tuesday (September 17, 2024). A visitation for friends and members of the community will be held from 4:00 p.m. until 5:45 p.m. EDT, with the funeral service beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the memorial chapel. Following the service, the family will receive friends until 8:00 p.m.
The family has asked those wishing to attend to refrain from taking any photographs or videos when inside the funeral home.
Cervantes’ obituary noted that while his “life tragically ended… we feel his presence and know Leo’s light continues to shine brightly in the hearts of our family and community.”
“Due to his autism, he had a sensitivity to sounds and often sought comfort in the presence of his mother, whom he adored and cherished,” Cervantes’ obituary noted. “He had a special gift to sense the emotional needs of others and would often show them affection.”
As Leo’s family prepares to lay him to rest, questions related to how he was able to escape from the school – and why he wasn’t quickly located after running away – have dominated discussion of this case.
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According to a statement from Greenville County’s school system,Cervantes “ran from the classroom and then the building, and multiple school staff members immediately pursued.”
“He went up a hill, beyond a fence off campus, and into a field with very high grass,” the statement continued. “At that time, staff lost visibility of the student.”
The statement went on to say a school resource officer “immediately responded, and additional law enforcement was called to the school to expand the search.” The hunt for Cervantes also involved “school staff, district employees and community members,” according to the district.
District officials have stated that “appropriate staff” at the school received “numerous trainings in the management of student behaviors, including specific training regarding elopement.”
As we reported at the time, the statement did not say what such trainings entailed, whether the staff involved in last week’s incident had received such training or whether they acted in accordance with the training as this incident unfolded.
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RELATED | MISSING CHILD’S BODY FOUND: TRAGEDY IN GREENVILLE
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Our media outlet plans to continue investigating the circumstances which led to Cervantes’ disappearance – and law enforcement’s efforts to locate him prior to his death – as well as covering the broader issues and questions being posed by the community. Our goal is not to assign any undeserved blame, but to objectively document what happened – while at the same time searching for solutions and preventative measures in the hopes of making sure a tragedy like this does not happen again.
Among the potential solutions we will be exploring are assistive technology devices with GPS – such as AngelSense – which provide real-time location monitoring and proactive alerting as well as newly developed safety systems for districts which include instantaneous crisis alert systems.
We will also explore current training programs for both school district staff and law enforcement personnel who work with individuals on the autism spectrum – along with lifesaving tools available to the community like Project Lifesaver.
Lionel’s obituary served as a solemn reminder of the importance of this continuing to explore what happened, describing him as a “hero of the heart.”
“He shared his love for all things Spiderman with anyone he encountered and was excited to dress up as the iconic superhero this coming Halloween,” the obituary noted. “Leo found immense pleasure in spotting Teslas on the road and describing them as having ‘Spiderman Eyes.'”
Let’s hope all of us can become the heroes watching over each of the children entrusted to our care…
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Jenn Wood is FITSNews’ incomparable research director. She’s also the producer of the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts and leading expert on all things Murdaugh/ South Carolina justice. A former private investigator with a criminal justice degree, evildoers beware, Jenn Wood is far from your average journalist! A deep dive researcher with a passion for truth and a heart for victims, this mom of two is pretty much a superhero in FITSNews country. Did we mention she’s married to a rocket scientist? (Lucky guy!) Got a story idea or a tip for Jenn? Email her at jenn@fitsnews.com.
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1 comment
RIP Leo.
But with a surname like that he might have ended up in a future Trump deportation camp if his family had not always been carrying papers confirming their status.
LET ME SEE YOUR PAPERS!
NO, NOT YOU NORWEGIANS, KEEP MOVING!