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Authorities: Bones may indicate missing boy killed by cougar
Associated Press
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The discovery of a child's skull and bones near a Big Bear area campground could shed light on whether a cougar killed a 9-year-old boy who disappeared last July from the same campground, authorities said.
San Bernardino County medical examiners are using dental records and DNA tests to determine if the remains that were found during the weekend are those of David Gonzalez, a Lake Elsinore boy whose disappearance triggered a massive search-and-rescue effort last summer. They could have results by the end of the week.
Rescuers searched for the boy for nine days and interviewed dozens of people, including registered sex offenders and nearly all the campers at the site, but turned up nothing. At the time, authorities reported that a cougar was treed in the area in the days after David disappeared and that a cougar was seen crossing a nearby road five days after he vanished.
Now, some officials involved with the case say the location and condition of the bones found last weekend add weight to the possibility that David was attacked by a cougar as he headed back to his family's pickup to get some cookies. Two wildlife experts are helping county officials examine the area where the bones were found and experts will study the bones for signs of claw or tooth marks, officials said.
The bones were found about a mile southwest of the Hanna Flat campground, near Fawnskin, where the family had been camping last July in the San Bernardino Mountains, said Chip Patterson, sheriff's spokesman. They showed no obvious trauma to the skull or signs of foul play, he said.
Authorities believe a cougar may have attacked the boy in the woods and then dragged his body to an isolated area, which would explain David's sudden disappearance and why rescuers could not find him, Patterson said.
"Explanations can be found in the lack of evidence," he said. "It was such a thorough search, and there were so many resources used, you wonder why we couldn't find him there. ... This theory fits with what we don't know."
Others said it was unlikely a cougar killed the child, who was gone for just a few minutes before his parents began to search for him.
San Bernardino County Deputy Coroner Randy Emon said trying to determine if a cougar was responsible would be like "grasping at straws," and added that in cases like David's disappearance the cause of death usually remains a mystery. He said it would be difficult to determine if marks on the bones were made before or after death.
Jose Gonzalez, 40, maintains hope that his son was kidnapped and is still alive but said the family was bracing for the worst. Gonzalez and his wife, Rosenda, have since moved from Lake Elsinore to Perris and have a 3-month-old son.
"God has given us strength," Gonzalez told the Los Angeles Times from his front porch. "It didn't come as a surprise. We've been waiting for some news, be it bad or good. We are waiting to see what happens. It could be our son, it could not be. If it is, I thank God that he is with him."
Gonzalez said he doubted his son was killed by a mountain lion, since the boy was out of his sight for only three minutes before he starting looking for him. He also said he was certain that if a mountain lion had attacked David, he would have heard a cry for help.
Associated Press
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The discovery of a child's skull and bones near a Big Bear area campground could shed light on whether a cougar killed a 9-year-old boy who disappeared last July from the same campground, authorities said.
San Bernardino County medical examiners are using dental records and DNA tests to determine if the remains that were found during the weekend are those of David Gonzalez, a Lake Elsinore boy whose disappearance triggered a massive search-and-rescue effort last summer. They could have results by the end of the week.
Rescuers searched for the boy for nine days and interviewed dozens of people, including registered sex offenders and nearly all the campers at the site, but turned up nothing. At the time, authorities reported that a cougar was treed in the area in the days after David disappeared and that a cougar was seen crossing a nearby road five days after he vanished.
Now, some officials involved with the case say the location and condition of the bones found last weekend add weight to the possibility that David was attacked by a cougar as he headed back to his family's pickup to get some cookies. Two wildlife experts are helping county officials examine the area where the bones were found and experts will study the bones for signs of claw or tooth marks, officials said.
The bones were found about a mile southwest of the Hanna Flat campground, near Fawnskin, where the family had been camping last July in the San Bernardino Mountains, said Chip Patterson, sheriff's spokesman. They showed no obvious trauma to the skull or signs of foul play, he said.
Authorities believe a cougar may have attacked the boy in the woods and then dragged his body to an isolated area, which would explain David's sudden disappearance and why rescuers could not find him, Patterson said.
"Explanations can be found in the lack of evidence," he said. "It was such a thorough search, and there were so many resources used, you wonder why we couldn't find him there. ... This theory fits with what we don't know."
Others said it was unlikely a cougar killed the child, who was gone for just a few minutes before his parents began to search for him.
San Bernardino County Deputy Coroner Randy Emon said trying to determine if a cougar was responsible would be like "grasping at straws," and added that in cases like David's disappearance the cause of death usually remains a mystery. He said it would be difficult to determine if marks on the bones were made before or after death.
Jose Gonzalez, 40, maintains hope that his son was kidnapped and is still alive but said the family was bracing for the worst. Gonzalez and his wife, Rosenda, have since moved from Lake Elsinore to Perris and have a 3-month-old son.
"God has given us strength," Gonzalez told the Los Angeles Times from his front porch. "It didn't come as a surprise. We've been waiting for some news, be it bad or good. We are waiting to see what happens. It could be our son, it could not be. If it is, I thank God that he is with him."
Gonzalez said he doubted his son was killed by a mountain lion, since the boy was out of his sight for only three minutes before he starting looking for him. He also said he was certain that if a mountain lion had attacked David, he would have heard a cry for help.
