Found Deceased VA - Juan Mejia Acevedo, 12, Endangered, Abducted by unknown person, last seen 9am in 200 block Mica Ave, Virginia Beach, 24 Jan 2025

[tlcya]

the fake ransom messages just add insult to injury. The whole time their child was dead Just horribly cruel. The types of people who would run such a scam on frantic parents are not people at all. subhuman at best.

 

[TMich6811]

Hm. I would say they knew the ransoms were bogus and issued the amber alert to access more resources.

But wasn’t the amber alert issued before the ransom messages? I thought they were

I am going to look back because I thought they said the abduction was witnessed.

Either way so sad to see it ended this way

 

[PommyMommy]

Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate gives an update on the body found, which was under approx 8' of water, and matches the body and clothing description of Juan Acevedo. The family has been notified.

WTKR News 3 on Instagram: "Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate gives an update on the body recovered from the water, which matches the description of missing 12-year-old Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo."

3,257 likes, 286 comments - wtkr3 on January 27, 2025: "Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate gives an update on the body recovered from the water, which matches the description of missing 12-year-old Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo.".

www.instagram.com

Rest peacefully, Juan. Prayers for his family and loved ones.

 

[Knox]

Police said Juan was last known to be alive around 2 p.m. Friday. That’s when a Ring doorbell camera captured him playing with friends not far from his home, according to Courtney Rivera and Jason Lopez, who own the camera that recorded the incident.

Jason Lopez and his fiancee, Courtney Rivera, stand near the pond where the body of 12-year-old Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo was found Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, three days after he was reported missing.

“You could tell he was having a good time,” Rivera said as she stood with Lopez by the pond. “They were throwing snowballs at each other, laughing, and having a good time. They were just being kids.”

Missing Virginia Beach 12-year-old’s body found in nearby pond

Virginia Beach police confirmed Monday that investigators found the body of a missing 12-year-old boy from a pond near the area he was last seen.

www.pilotonline.com

I'm confused. If Juan was playing with friends at around 2 PM, how does he end up dead in the pond? Is this an accident or foul play?

 

[HmmMysterious]

Police said Juan was last known to be alive around 2 p.m. Friday. That’s when a Ring doorbell camera captured him playing with friends not far from his home, according to Courtney Rivera and Jason Lopez, who own the camera that recorded the incident.

Jason Lopez and his fiancee, Courtney Rivera, stand near the pond where the body of 12-year-old Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo was found Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, three days after he was reported missing.

“You could tell he was having a good time,” Rivera said as she stood with Lopez by the pond. “They were throwing snowballs at each other, laughing, and having a good time. They were just being kids.”

Missing Virginia Beach 12-year-old’s body found in nearby pond

Virginia Beach police confirmed Monday that investigators found the body of a missing 12-year-old boy from a pond near the area he was last seen.

www.pilotonline.com

I'm confused. If Juan was playing with friends at around 2 PM, how does he end up dead in the pond? Is this an accident or foul play?

Could be that Juan drowned after his friends left.

 

[Warwick1991]

Wonder what made them think he had been kidnapped.

I think it was because he disappeared. Disappearance can have many scenarios. Kidnapping or foul play is possible, along with misadventure/accident.

 

[borndem]

I think it was because he disappeared. Disappearance can have many scenarios. Kidnapping or foul play is possible, along with misadventure/accident.

Agreed.
So very sorry that those who knew him and those who loved him will only now have memories of him. I feel sure that those memories, however, will be good ones.
Condolences to those who loved him and to those who were his friends.
Fly high, young Juan Mejia.

​

 

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[truthfinder2019]

Police said Juan was last known to be alive around 2 p.m. Friday. That’s when a Ring doorbell camera captured him playing with friends not far from his home, according to Courtney Rivera and Jason Lopez, who own the camera that recorded the incident.

Jason Lopez and his fiancee, Courtney Rivera, stand near the pond where the body of 12-year-old Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo was found Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, three days after he was reported missing.

“You could tell he was having a good time,” Rivera said as she stood with Lopez by the pond. “They were throwing snowballs at each other, laughing, and having a good time. They were just being kids.”

Missing Virginia Beach 12-year-old’s body found in nearby pond

Virginia Beach police confirmed Monday that investigators found the body of a missing 12-year-old boy from a pond near the area he was last seen.

www.pilotonline.com

I'm confused. If Juan was playing with friends at around 2 PM, how does he end up dead in the pond? Is this an accident or foul play?

I have even more questions now. Initial reports speak about potential abduction at 9 am. From what I could find in public records, the area he was seen playing at 2pm does seem to be near a pond. IMO. JIMO.
There are many ponds, but they searched that one, means they knew where and thanks to a ring cam. The only issue, if I am correct, is that the pond is ca 1h by foot from his home, but not that far by car.
So how did he get there ? A car lift? Could it be that they initially thought he was abducted because he did get in a car to go see friends in a not far neighbourhood?
JMO

ETA: what happened after 2pm? I hope they find other recording to trace movements. Did his friends notice anything ?

 

[Knox]

I have even more questions now. Initial reports speak about potential abduction at 9 am. From what I could find in public records, the area he was seen playing at 2pm does seem to be near a pond. IMO. JIMO.
There are many ponds, but they searched that one, means they knew where and thanks to a ring cam. The only issue, if I am correct, is that the pond is ca 1h by foot from his home, but not that far by car.
So how did he get there ? A car lift? Could it be that they initially thought he was abducted because he did get in a car to go see friends in a not far neighbourhood?
JMO

ETA: what happened after 2pm? I hope they find other recording to trace movements. Did his friends notice anything ?

The article I linked says the pond is a couple blocks from his home?

 

[truthfinder2019]

The article I linked says the pond is a couple blocks from his home?

Thanks, then I must have found a wrong address

 

[PommyMommy]

JAN 27, 2025

Missing 12-year-old's body found in nearby pond

A body matching 12-year-old Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo's description was recovered Monday from a pond in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

www.wtvr.com

Police haven’t identified potential suspect(s) behind the ransom, but Neudigate says it's still part of their investigation.

“Unfortunately, because it involved out-of-state transactions, we need search warrants, subpoenas, to try to identify who that individual was who received that money," he shared.

JAN 28, 2025

Missing Virginia Beach 12-year-old’s body found in nearby pond

Virginia Beach police confirmed Monday that investigators found the body of a missing 12-year-old boy from a pond near the area he was last seen.

www.pilotonline.com

Juan was an only child, Herreda said, and he was a good student.

 

[ChatteringBirds]

My heart is broken for his family. I hope people will surround them with love, food, and assistance for a long time to come.

 

[LoveyG]

Police said Juan was last known to be alive around 2 p.m. Friday. That’s when a Ring doorbell camera captured him playing with friends not far from his home, according to Courtney Rivera and Jason Lopez, who own the camera that recorded the incident.

Jason Lopez and his fiancee, Courtney Rivera, stand near the pond where the body of 12-year-old Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo was found Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, three days after he was reported missing.

“You could tell he was having a good time,” Rivera said as she stood with Lopez by the pond. “They were throwing snowballs at each other, laughing, and having a good time. They were just being kids.”

Missing Virginia Beach 12-year-old’s body found in nearby pond

Virginia Beach police confirmed Monday that investigators found the body of a missing 12-year-old boy from a pond near the area he was last seen.

www.pilotonline.com

I'm confused. If Juan was playing with friends at around 2 PM, how does he end up dead in the pond? Is this an accident or foul play?

"according to Courtney Rivera and Jason Lopez, who own the camera that recorded the incident."

Recorded what incident? He doesn't appear to have been kidnapped, so the camera recorded the drowning? If so, why so long to locate him?

Edit: Oh I see. "The incident" was Juan playing with other kids. Not a word I would use to describe playing children but anyway, nevermind.

 

[Pseudonymph]

"according to Courtney Rivera and Jason Lopez, who own the camera that recorded the incident."

Recorded what incident? He doesn't appear to have been kidnapped, so the camera recorded the drowning? If so, why so long to locate him?

They saw him playing with his friends earlier. That's what the interview is about. I don't think they were playing near the pond at the time.

 

[Pseudonymph]

There are many ponds, but they searched that one, means they knew where and thanks to a ring cam. The only issue, if I am correct, is that the pond is ca 1h by foot from his home, but not that far by car.
So how did he get there ? A car lift? Could it be that they initially thought he was abducted because he did get in a car to go see friends in a not far neighbourhood?
JMO

It's just an ordinary retention pond in a fairly new apartment complex. We don't have much in the way of natural ponds here. I'm actually surprised it's 8 feet deep.

Looks like there are two ponds in the neighborhood, much the same I'm sure. You can see one if you "drive" down Alicia Drive in Google Maps. The other is visible from Bonney Rd.

 

[truthfinder2019]

They saw him playing with his friends earlier. That's what the interview is about. I don't think they were playing near the pond at the time.

I had the impression, because the ring cam owners were also at the pond

 

[Knox]

I had the impression, because the ring cam owners were also at the pond

Police said Juan was last known to be alive around 2 p.m. Friday. That’s when a Ring doorbell camera captured him playing with friends not far from his home, according to Courtney Rivera and Jason Lopez, who own the camera that recorded the incident.

“You could tell he was having a good time,” Rivera said as she stood with Lopez by the pond Monday night. “They were throwing snowballs at each other, laughing, and having a good time. They were just being kids.”

Missing Virginia Beach 12-year-old’s body found in nearby pond

Virginia Beach police confirmed Monday that investigators found the body of a missing 12-year-old boy from a pond near the area he was last seen.

www.pilotonline.com

 

[truthfinder2019]

Cornerstone · Virginia Beach, Virginia

maps.app.goo.gl

VBPD marine unit searching the pond next to the Cambria at Cornerstone apartments in Virginia Beach, near Town Center — where he had last been reportedly seen alive around 72 hours prior
Full timeline at

TIMELINE: What happened to Juan Mejia Acevedo? What we know his disappearance and discovery

In a tragic turn, Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo's body was recovered in a pond Monday right where he had last been seen by his family three days earlier. Here is a timeline of events as we know them.

www.wtkr.com

 

[Unalienable Rights]

Medical examiner confirms cause of death after missing Virginia Beach 12-year-old's body found

The Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released 12-year-old Juan Sebastian Mejia Acevedo's cause and manner of death on Wednesday afternoon.

www.13newsnow.com

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — An AMBER Alert was canceled after a body found Monday was confirmed to be the 12-year-old boy missing in Virginia Beach since Friday. On Wednesday afternoon, the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed his cause of death.

The Chief Medical Examiner stated the boy's death was caused by an accidental drowning. They did not release any other details.