Sen. Charles Schumer says new legislation proposed in the name of Avonte Oquendo, the 14-year-old New York City boy who disappeared from his school and was found dead three months later, would fund voluntary tracking devices for children who have autism.
Schumer (D-N.Y.), accompanied by Avonte’s mother and grandmother, Sunday to announce “Avonte’s Law.” The legislation would create a program that provides tracking devices and expands support services for families with autistic children.
Schumer says it would be similar to a federal program that tracks seniors who have Alzheimer’s disease. The $10 million in funds would go to police departments, which would hand out the devices to parents who request them.
“It will help put parents at ease, save precious lives,” Schumer told reporters, including 1010 WINS’ Glenn Schuck. “Avonte’s Law will allow his memory to live on while helping to prevent more children with autism from going missing.
“The technology will allow parents of all children with autism, no matter how much or how little money they have, to enjoy the benefits of a high-tech solution to an age-old problem.”
Avonte’s mother and grandmother weren’t ready to speak to reporters, but their lawyer, David Perecman, told WCBS 880′s Monica Miller that a tracking system would be a fitting tribute to the teen.
“The goal today, because we can’t go back in time, is to make sure … never again,” Perecman said. “And this will help.”
Evidence gathered along the East River — body parts, clothing and a pair of sneakers — almost certainly brought to a tragic end the desperate three-month search for autistic teen Avonte Oquendo.
All that remained to confirm the parents’ worst fears was a comparison of DNA taken from the remains with the sample that Avonte’s mother, Vanessa Fontaine, rushed to investigators.
“Unfortunately, there is good reason to think it’s him,” the family’s lawyer, David Perecman, warned. “It’s more than just speculation.”
Still, Avonte’s parents were clinging to dwindling hope that their 14-year-old son was still alive.
“They’re distraught, but they’re hopeful it’s not him,” Perecman said. “They remain optimistic that he’s still out there.”
Avonte walked past a security guard and out of the Riverview School in Long Island City, Queens, on Oct. 4. Avonte was obsessed with the subway system and Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials made announcements on trains for weeks asking for help finding him. The MTA sent subway workers into the tunnels in Brooklyn and Queens to check out tips that the teen had been spotted wandering the tracks.
The NYPD went so far as to enlist the help of psychics in the search for the boy, sources told the Daily News. Police, relatives and volunteers posted flyers and combed waterways. The search generated dozens of false tips and a reward grew to nearly $90,000.
The case gripped the city with curiosity, hope and, finally, the beginnings of despair when a photographer spotted remains along the rocky shoreline in College Point on Thursday afternoon.
Just after 7 p.m. Thursday, police found a left arm that police sources said appeared to have separated via decomposition — rather than a violent act. Police divers returned to the cold and murky water on Friday, feeling around the underwater rocks while wearing heavy gloves. Other cops searched the shoreline using cadaver dogs. They shut down the search by nightfall and were expected to resume at 7 a.m. Saturday.
In all, they found legs in boys’ size 16 Old Navy jeans, a size 51/2 Air Jordan sneaker and a striped shirt — all consistent with the outfit Avonte was wearing when he went missing.
The desperate, three-months-long search for missing autistic teenager Avonte Oquendo appeared Friday to be coming to a tragic close.
Skeletal remains clad in clothing that appeared to match the outfit 14-year-old Avonte was wearing when he ran off from his school on Oct. 4 were discovered by a teenaged photographer in Queens along the East River shoreline.
All that remained to confirm Oquendo’s parents’ worst fears was a comparison of DNA taken from the body parts with the sample that boy’s mom, Vanessa Fontaine, rushed to investigators. The DNA of the boy’s father is already on file.
“Unfortunately, there is good reason to think it’s him,” said the family’s lawyer, David Perecman. “It’s more than just speculation.”
Still, Avonte’s parents continued to cling to a slim piece of hope that their son was still alive.
The headless body found in College Point was wearing Fruit of the Loom underwear, size large, police said.
Fontaine dressed her son in Hanes brand underwear.
“They’re distraught, but they’re hopeful it’s not him,” Perecman, said. “They remain optimistic that he’s still out there.”
Authorities in Queens are investigating the discovery of remains found next to the East River, and sources tell Eyewitness News that police have notified the family of missing autistic teenager Avonte Oquendo about the investigation.
The remains, said to be a human arm and legs, were found on a rock in the water near the College Point Yacht Club around 7 p.m. Thursday. Police responded to a 911 call in the vicinity of Powell Cove Boulevard and Endeavor Place after a 14-year-old girl stumbled across the limbs.
The sources said a pair of sneakers was also found, but it could not be confirmed if it belonged to the 14-year-old non-verbal boy who disappeared after running out of his Long Island City school 15 weeks ago Friday, on October 4.
The remains were removed to the Queens County Morgue as Harbor Patrol divers and helicopters searched the cold, dark waters for additional body parts. The tide quickly came in and the search had to be suspended, but it resumed at daybreak.
The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. No positive identification has been made, but police have been in contact with the Oquendo family.
“Come to the flashing lights Avonte.” ~ Vanessa Fontaine, Avonte’s mother
Fourteen year old Avonte Oquendo, a severely autistic teen from New York City, has been missing for two weeks. He doesn’t speak and has trouble performing many basic tasks on his own according to his mother, Vanessa Fontaine’
He was last seen on school video cameras at the Center Boulevard School in the Long Island City section of Queens by a school safety agent on duty at the front door. The videotape shows Avonte walking down the hall, and exiting the school through a side door.
Avonte has an affinity for trains so subway tunnels to train yards are being scoured by police and volunteer search teams.
A van from Citywide Disaster Services, using a recording of Avonte’s mother’s voice, tours the Queens neighborhood near where Avonte disappeared.
Police have also elicited the help infra-red cameras that detect heat signatures of live bodies, multi language missing posters and even psychics to locate the teenager. A $70, 000 award is being offered for Avonte’s safe return to his family, who are frantic.
Recently the teen’s family has indicated that they may file a lawsuit against the city, angered over the fact that Avonte, who needs constant supervision, was able to just walk out of the school without an aide. The school waited an hour before notifying police and his parents that he was missing according to interviews.
New York’s police commissioner James Kelly, however, says the school safety officer, who was the last person to see the boy did nothing wrong.
“We have spoken to the school safety agent who was on duty at the front door. We looked at the video tape. She directs the young man to go back upstairs [when] he’s just at the front door. He goes down the hall and actually exits the building from a side door. You see nothing after this juncture that shows the conduct of the school safety agent was inappropriate or there was any misconduct involved.” says Kelly.
Really. Ms. Fontaine’s attorney, David Perecman, questioned why a side door would even be unlocked and unguarded in a school with autistic students. He also questioned whether it was sufficient for the guard to simply tell Avonte to return to his class, or should he have followed to make certain he did. Or at least contact someone else to have done so.
“They dropped the ball; there’s no other way to put it,” Daniel Oquendo Sr., Avonte’s father, told the New York Daily News. “He was seen, but nobody did anything!”
One thing’s for sure, either Avonte’s family has some pull, or — and not to devalue in any way the importance of the safe return of that boy to his mother — the commissioner is envisioning the possible repercussions of a lawsuit. Many in black neighborhoods have repeatedly complained that less effort and media attention are given to missing black children, than white ones. There have also been calls for more and better security to be provided in city schools. In response, The New York City Police Department is pulling out all the stops to find Avonte. Mr. Kelly said Wednesday;
“We’re using a significant amount of resources to look for this young man,”
And the police department has devoted a significant number of officers to the search and has deployed water and air search teams to aid in the effort.
A psychic’s tip sent police to search a tunnel in the East Village section of Manhattan, but there was no sign of Avonte.
The family told CBS New York that they believe Avonte is alive. I hope so.
Avonte was last seen wearing a gray striped shirt, black jeans and black sneakers, police said. He is 5 foot 3 inches tall and weighs 125 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS. You can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com.
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