HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The body of a missing 5-year-old child with autism has been recovered, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said.
The child was last seen around 5 a.m. in the area of Cypress Mulch Circle and Northgreen Avenue in the Northdale area.
Sheriff Chronister said a dive team located the child's body in a retention pond in the area.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said the child was non-verbal and does not respond to his name.
Sheriff Chronister said the family wanted to share a message with the media and anyone who helped with the search for the child: have your child get swim lessons no matter what age.
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