After a months-long search that began in October, human remains found in January off College Point, Queens were determined to belong to missing 14-year-old boy Avonte Oquendo. On Friday, Avonte's brother Danny Oquendo wrote an essay about his family's ordeal and their gratitude for the community outpouring they received: "On behalf of my family, I would like to thank all the searchers, marchers and everyone who held us in their thoughts for the love and support you have displayed during these extremely rough times. God bless you."
Avonte, who was autistic and could not communicate, went missing on October 4, 2014, leaving his special-needs school without any guards realizing it, and prompting criticism of lax security. The search spread across the city and surrounding areas, with the police using infrared cameras and the MTA (Avonte loved subways) directing conductors to make announcements about him on board trains and delaying track work so workers could search for him in the system.
Danny Oquendo says that in spite of NYC's reputation "for being the hardest place on Earth to succeed... a cold, unforgiving, cut-throat Metropolis," where "New Yorkers are labeled as rude, impatient, aggressive, and unsympathetic, I’m writing to tell you that this reputation the rest of the world assumes is far from the truth."
Word of his disappearance spread like wildfire and before we knew it there were masses of sympathetic volunteers ready to do anything in their power to aid us in our search. We went from a small family searching night and day for our loved one to a large operation with thousands of volunteers ready and willing to help in every possible way. We were given supplies, tents, food, flyers and moral support from strangers that never even had the opportunity to meet Avonte. The community came together for a common cause in such an unparalleled way that it renewed my faith in the kindness of humanity. The people of New York responded to our anguish with a tremendous amount of support and vigilance. What was even more inspiring was that every volunteer I had the opportunity of meeting acted as if Avonte was their own flesh and blood. It turns out that before it was all said and done Avonte did indeed become the beloved son of the city. His story touched everyone’s heart and everyone wanted to ensure that he was found safe and sound.
He also brings up the issues about Avonte's school, "So let us make certain that Avonte Oquendo’s death is not in vain. Let this tragic occurrence be the surge that builds up enough momentum to provide a real solution to the problematic issues that this hardship has brought to our attention. Let us do what is necessary to allot more funding for schools so they can provide their staff with proper training and implement appropriate security measures that would prevent another incident like this. Finally, let this be a reminder that at the end of the day, as tough as New Yorkers are, we can come together as one to achieve common goals that are in the best interest of our children, our loved ones, and our city."
Avonte's family has filed a lawsuit to obtain records related to his disappearance, as they plan to file a wrongful death lawsuit.
