Body of missing 5-year-old Grand Prairie boy found in creek near his apartment, police say
The body of a 5-year-old boy who walked out of his Grand Prairie apartment on Sunday evening was found Monday afternoon in a nearby creek, police said.
The Grand Prairie Public Safety Dive Team found Santiago Aburto Gonzalez in South Cottonwood Creek, next to the Ashton Park Apartment Homes, “after an exhaustive search,” police said in a news release.
“Due to the water having zero visibility, the divers were conducting a manual search when Santiago was located approximately 4 feet under the surface of the water and not visible from ground level,” police said.
Police officials have met with Santiago’s family to offer “our deepest condolences and will continue to support the family as needed,” according to the statement.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the child’s death an accident. Results of an autopsy are pending to determine the cause. The medical examiner’s online records list the boy’s name as Santiago Aburto-Garcia.
Police said that the child’s death remains under investigation, but they do not suspect foul play.
The Grand Prairie Police Department announced on Monday morning that it was searching for Santiago. The boy was reported missing about 8:15 p.m. Sunday after he left his apartment in the 2400 block of West Pioneer Parkway.
Speaking to reporters during the search, Santiago’s mother said that the boy had a form of autism and that he got out of the apartment through the balcony.
“We always cared for him, my partner and I, like no one could care more for him,” the mother told KXAS-TV in Spanish.
Santiago was last seen wearing an orange shirt that included the word “Mickey” and blue shorts. He had no shoes.
The Texas Department of Public Safety canceled its endangered missing person alert about 2:40 p.m., saying the child had been found.
Police officers and other employees from the Grand Prairie Fire Department, Arlington Police Department, Garland Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, Dallas Police Department and Texas DPS Air Support helped with the search. Police also used dogs and drones to look for the child.
This story was originally published March 17, 2025 at 7:48 AM.
