Found Deceased NC - Raul Johnson, 4, Laurinburg, 24 January 2018

[jade32]

So sorry to hear he is deceased. This shouldnt have happened.

Rest in peace little Raul.

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[LolaLane]

I agree with all who've said a child can wander away when we have our heads turned for only a moment. I just can't get past allowing a 4 year old to go outside alone and wander around daily. I suppose if you had a fenced in yard and that was as far as the child could go it might be ok, but just to let him go out the door daily, I don't think so. As was stated many pages back he went to the neighbors house for cookies or candy almost daily. I just can't imagine that.
His mother was at work and likely the grandad was her only option for free daycare . That sounds like to me she was in a no win situation. I can't help but feel pity for her.
RIP Little Raul

 

[jessie]

Such a tragedy it is heartbreaking, but I have to post this as when I heard there was water, a pond/lake nearby I anticipated the worst but prayed for the best.
Children are so drawn to water.
Remember little ones can drown in a few inches of water in a bath. The phone rings, you go to answer and within a minute it has happened - we just can't let them out of our sight.
All my thoughts with Raul's family and loved ones. x


Grim Statistics On Child Drownings
Safety Sports Swimming
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC):

350 children under the age of five drown in pools each year nationwide.

Among unintentional injuries, drowning is the second leading cause of death to this age group after motor vehicle accidents. In some Sunbelt states such as California, Florida and Arizona, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death to children under five.

Another 2,600 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year for near-drowning incidents. Some of these submersion accidents result in permanent brain damage.

In a comprehensive study of drowning and submersion incidents involving children under 5 years old in Arizona, California, and Florida, the CPSC found that:

Most were young. Three quarters (75%) of the submersion victims were between 1 and 3 years old; More than half (65%) of this group were boys. Toddlers, in particular, often do something unexpected because their capabilities change daily.

Most were being watched by parents. At the time of the incidents, most victims were being supervised by one or both parents. Almost half (46%) of the victims were last seen in the house; one quarter (23%) were last seen in the yard or on the porch or patio; and 31% were in or around the pool before the accident. In all, 69% of the children were not expected to be at or in the pool, yet they were found in the water.

Most happen in familiar surroundings. Submersion incidents involving children usually happen in familiar surroundings. 65% of the incidents happened in a pool owned by the child's family and a third of the incidents happened in a pool owned by friends or relatives.

Most accidents happen quickly. Pool submersions involving children happen quickly. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a phone. More than 3 out of 4 of the victims (77%) had been missing from sight for 5 minutes or less.

Seconds count. Survival depends on rescuing the child quickly and restarting the breathing process, even while the child is still in the water. Seconds count in preventing death or brain damage.

A silent killer. Child drowning is a silent death. There's no splashing to alert anyone that the child is in trouble.
http://www.momsteam.com/sports/swimming/safety/grim-statistics-on-child-drownings

 

[borndem]

Oh so sad. Fly high little Raul. Fly high sweet boy. Rest In Peace little one.

I don't believe he walked into the pond. It was too cold that morning. The water would not have been inviting.

Hmmm, interesting thought, ClaireNC -- I haven't thought this death through yet. If he were trying to fetch something he saw in the pond -- a ball, a toy boat -- maybe so. But that water had to be too cool for him to enjoy -- like you said -- and it was probably "icky" -- most ponds are -- algae, maybe dead plant matter, etc. Hmmm, that is disturbing.

We will just have to wait it out. Seems to me, if he was interested in going into that pond, then surely someone would have forbidden him to go over there (that's a big ha-ha, I know) and told him there were things in there that might hurt or bite him, etc. And seems like he would have been over there before, wanting to go into it, and been told by the owner, etc., to stay away. JMO.

 

[keeleydoll]

I agree with all who've said a child can wander away when we have our heads turned for only a moment. I just can't get past allowing a 4 year old to go outside alone and wander around daily. I suppose if you had a fenced in yard and that was as far as the child could go it might be ok, but just to let him go out the door daily, I don't think so. As was stated many pages back he went to the neighbors house for cookies or candy almost daily. I just can't imagine that.
His mother was at work and likely the grandad was her only option for free daycare . That sounds like to me she was in a no win situation. I can't help but feel pity for her.
RIP Little Raul

We have a fenced in yard and a very quiet elementary school playground literally across the street from our corner lot. I still won’t allow my 5 year old to play in the yard without a parent or older sibling and I’ve never let any of them to go to the playground alone or just with friends until they were at least 9 and even then they had to stay where I could watch them from the windows or our yard. I struggle to wrap my brain around persistently wandering preschoolers.


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ETA a word

 

[yurena]

I cannot believe I am back on this thread only to read this has ended in tragedy I feel like crying RIP beautiful Raul.

 

[LietKynes]

Unless there's official confirmation -- this was just a tragic accident.

My .02 is that there WAS major neglect of this child. There was no reason for him to not be watched and instead allowed to wander in the neighborhood.
If grandpa was not able to follow him as he went outside-- the parent(s) should have hired a capable sitter who would keep an eye on him !
So preventable and SO senseless.

 

[IHAVENOCLUE]

RIP, Raul...:candle:

You are flying with the angels now...:angel:

 

[Deleted member 278]

Although it's probably nothing of significance, I wonder why he didn't talk to the neighbor that day when he talked to her every other day that he stopped by.

 

[Auntisemantic]

Due to the temperature of the water (cold), he could have been recusitated for up to 66 minutes; had anyone seen him fall/go in. 😔

 

[Auntisemantic]

Although it's probably nothing of significance, I wonder why he didn't talk to the neighbor that day when he talked to her every other day that he stopped by.

I agree. He also bagged his mom not to go to work that morning. 😞

 

[Deleted member 278]

I agree. He also bagged his mom not to go to work that morning. 

I hadn't heard that! Interesting indeed!

 

[Deleted member 278]

I agree. He also bagged his mom not to go to work that morning. 

I wonder what his reason was. Surely she would have asked him why he didn't want her to go.

 

[NSS]

Sleep tight Raul -x-

I am sorry you were out unsupervised.
I am sorry you were still in PJ's when you left.
I am sorry you were without shoes.
I am sorry that you were able to visit cookie lady and walk 800 yards to that pond before anyone noticed you gone.
I am sorry that your feet got muddy as you approached that water.
I am sorry that no-one was close enough to you to hear the splash.

So many sorrys' that could have been avoided.

 

[Auntisemantic]

Undiagnosed autism?

He was fairly social from what we know. He went to the neighbor's daily for cookies & candy (in the AM).
I have a daughter with severe autism (nonverbal), I don't think Raul had autism.
IMO, he didn't get a whole lot of attention.
I think he was often left to his own devices.

 

[Auntisemantic]

Sleep tight Raul -x-

I am sorry you were out unsupervised.
I am sorry you were still in PJ's when you left.
I am sorry you were without shoes.
I am sorry that you were able to visit cookie lady and walk 800 yards to that pond before anyone noticed you gone.
I am sorry that your feet got muddy as you approached that water.
I am sorry that no-one was close enough to you to hear the splash.

So many sorrys' that could have been avoided.

😞 To add to that...
I am sorry the passerby who saw you walking towards Crestline didn't stop to ask you where your parents were & stayed with you until police came after calling 911. 😡

I am sorry they took the time to call police AFTER they saw you all ALONE, but not when they saw you on your journey barefoot & all by yourself.😞😢😌💔😡

 

[Auntisemantic]

I wonder what his reason was. Surely she would have asked him why he didn't want her to go.

Me, too. I know little kids don't want their moms to leave sometimes, but I find it concerning compounded with him not acting himself to SS (neighbor). He didn't say anything that morning.

 

[MsMarple]

Unless there's official confirmation -- this was just a tragic accident.

My .02 is that there WAS major neglect of this child. There was no reason for him to not be watched and instead allowed to wander in the neighborhood.
If grandpa was not able to follow him as he went outside-- the parent(s) should have hired a capable sitter who would keep an eye on him !
So preventable and SO senseless.

I'm about 90% on board with you. I do believe Raul (and his siblings) were neglected, if only because there are so many of them (8 but I don't know their ages and how many still live in the house).

And given the family history - dad was arrested in September on 21 charges of child sexual abuse and mom was too but her charges were dropped so we don't know how aware and/or involved she was in the abuse. Either way I get the impression that she's struggling financially and isn't likely able to afford child care and depends on her father to help out. The fact that she's working suggests she's trying to get her life in order but that's just speculation on my part since we have little info on the family dynamics.

I guess what I'm saying is that it was probably difficult for the grandfather to care for the kids and I can't really blame him for losing sight of Raul. Of course we don't know who else lived in the home - an article linked upthread implied an uncle may also live in the home but there's no confirmation.

A minor rant - IMO society needs to rethink the attitude that people have some sort of God-given right to reproduce at will and we also need to demand that parents take responsibility for the babies they bring into the world. I'm all for CPS stepping in when needed but we need to remember that the parents should be the first line of protection for their kids, not the government. If you want a dozen kids, great, but then it's up to you to properly care for them and protect them. End rant.

 

[Ixchel13]

Oh Raul...I so hoped this would turn out differently. My heart is aching and there are tears in my eyes as I write this.
If this was a drowning, then this was not an accident, it was NEGLECT. This child had a history of wandering away from a home where there was clearly turmoil and abuse, and no one was watching out for him. So drowned or not I struggle to see this as an accident...yes there have been cases where wonderful parents lost their children in similar fashion and that is not their fault but IMO this is different. Who was looking out for Raul in his short four years on this planet? No one, from what I can tell. Shame.
Regarding the uncle, we have seen others be arrested for unrelated charges during the course of an investigation (Libby and Abby case for example) and I would bet that this is the case (arrested on something unrelated). Otherwise I think by this case we might have heard something to the contrary.

RIP sweet one... [emoji177]


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i couldn't agree more, your post is excellent. Yes, people were arrested on unrelated charges, but especially in this case, this person who was arrested, had he been watching Raul, could have saved his life. Sorry, loser.
This sweet, adorable child. He looked outside of his terrifying life experience for beauty and the
handout of a cookie. as long as that lady was there the next day with a smile and a treat, maybe life would be ok. Such is the thoughts of an innocent child who doesn't know any better. He saw birds and rabbits and maybe a fox or chickens on his rambles. This little rambler did not fall in that pond. Did someone chase him down to that pond? when LE says they saw his footprints, that doesn't mean they were all over the place, they cold probably detect a pattern...like a beeline vs. back and forth, back and forth like you're being chased.

 

[Auntisemantic]

I hadn't heard that! Interesting indeed!

I posted this a couple days ago.
This is troublesome to me.
Annie Johnson told the reporter that the morning Raul went missing....

"Yesterday morning he was like,
"Mama, please don't go to work." "And I told him, I had to go to work."

And then when the neighbor talked to the reporter, she said Raul wouldn't talk (according to what she said). It's kind of hard to make out certain words, but this is what I have.
This is was when Raul went to her house prior to wandering off. Was Raul afraid of someone in his house?
------
Shirley Stubbs/the elderly neighbor (transcribed to the best of my ability)
"What do you want? (He still won't say nothing). Afterwards, "if you ain't gonna tell me what you want, then go back to your papa."

http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/17289586/?ref_id=17289201