Police Confirm Missing Autistic Boy Was Found Inside Pool

Braylen Noble. (Toledo Police Department)

The search for missing 3-year-old Ohio boy Braylen Noble ended this week, and police confirmed that his body was found on Wednesday.

Braylen was found Wednesday at an apartment pool near where he disappeared, officials told WTOL.

The Lucas County Coroner’s Office confirmed the body was that of the child on Wednesday night, the report said.

“At this point, it’s turned from a missing person investigation to a death investigation,” Toledo Police Lt. Kellie Lenhardt told a local ABC affiliate. “And it’s still a very active investigation.”

Lenhardt said police previously searched the pool after the child went missing but found nothing.

“It’s common practice in police investigations, once an area is searched, if nothing found, to go back and revisit that search area and see if anything was missed,“ said Lenhardt. ”But we do want to reiterate that the area was searched numerous times by Toledo Fire and Rescue, the FBI, private search groups, and both live and cadaver dogs.”

The boy was reported missing on Sept. 4 when his grandmother called 911, or about 30 minutes after the child disappeared.

Lenhardt told the Toledo Blade that Braylen’s mother, Dajnae Cox, was taken away from her apartment by Toledo police, but he didn’t say whether she was formally arrested.

A crowd of onlookers cheered the officers as she was walking with them away from the apartment. “We want justice,” they chanted, according to the paper.

Cox, in an interview earlier this week, said, “I just want whoever have him, please take him somewhere safe.”

“I know he’s scared and I know he’s crying and he has stomach pains and he’s not eating. He’s a picky eater. So if you want to just drop him off somewhere, please drop him off to the police station. You can drop him off here. Call my phone,” she said.

Officials previously said Cox told police that Braylen fell from an apartment window before disappearing, saying the child is non-verbal with autism.

The FBI Cleveland office had offered up to a $5,000 reward for information leading to Braylen, according to News5. Those with information should call 419-255-1111 or 911.