Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
How anyone could suggest we go back to that is beyond my comprehension. Home is where the heart is.
There was a discussion about Willowbrook a few years back here on the board but mostly how the building is used nowadays etc. After Geraldo Rivera managed to sneak in and shoot some footage the un humane treatment was finally brought to the open and some improvements was made. The facility closed the doors permanently in 1987. What is disturbing is that those ppl who don't possess the slightest compassion or emphaty for humanity are usually more or less in charge for the life of so many handicapped children and adults. Total disgrace.
COLLEGE POINT (WABC) -- DNA has confirmed the remains found in Queens are Avonte Oquendo, the Medical Examiner says. His family has been informed.
Qquendo's mother was notified early Tuesday afternoon, officials said. The cause and manner of death are pending.
Word comes after searchers found a skull in the waters off College Point, Queens over the weekend. A second arm and teeth were also recovered from the river, along with clothes matching those worn by Avonte.
Other remains were found on a rock in the water near the College Point Yacht Club around 7 p.m. Thursday, about 11 miles from where Avonte was last seen.
I was so sad about the outcome of this. Apparently the remains in the East River were confirmed as his. The thing is - neither outcome was very promising. I don't know what's worse, getting the confirmation that your son is dead... or the not knowing/uncertainty? One hand, yes he is found so they no longer have to worry - but on the flipside, he is dead and never coming back.
I feel awful for this family and I do think the school should and needs to take some responsibility for his disappearance.
If the underwear doesn't match it most certainly indicates foul play.
Or maybe he had an accident in school and somehow ended up in some other boy's underwear? Just saying, we don't really know exactly what happened. I hope however he died, he wasn't suffering. :/
Apparently the remains in the East River were confirmed as his.
Technically more Flushing Bay than the East River, at least the part of the East River over by college point. He couldn't have floated form LIC upstream, so either he made his way to Flishing / College Point / Long Island or was taken there
By the way, now that this was back in the headlines again, I was wondering two things, and since I wasn't following the news, I thought someone here might know:
1. I never heard any mention of ANY identification that was easily seen on A.O., not even something basic like an ID bracelet. Did his parents provide anything on him to help him easily, or did they expect the school to do everything?
2. Has it ever been mentioned how much taxpayer money was spent on this one child - police overtime, press conferences, school investigations, etc.?
I'll apologize in advance since I know this sounds grouchy, but the city is always in need of money, and I can't help but wonder - if the parents had been more pro-active, could we have been spending that money better elsewhere?
By the way, now that this was back in the headlines again, I was wondering two things, and since I wasn't following the news, I thought someone here might know:
1. I never heard any mention of ANY identification that was easily seen on A.O., not even something basic like an ID bracelet. Did his parents provide anything on him to help him easily, or did they expect the school to do everything?
2. Has it ever been mentioned how much taxpayer money was spent on this one child - police overtime, press conferences, school investigations, etc.?
I'll apologize in advance since I know this sounds grouchy, but the city is always in need of money, and I can't help but wonder - if the parents had been more pro-active, could we have been spending that money better elsewhere?
Avonte was child, not a dog. Why should he have on an ID or any other marker? Do you send your children to school tagged in such a fashion?
All schools function in loco parentis. That means once they take charge of a child a school is responsible for it's safety. Avonte did not need a name tag or whatever because he shouldn't have been out of teacher's sight much less the school building.
Regarding taxpayer cost. Are you kidding? A teenager much less a disabled one goes missing from school and you question the cost and efforts to locate? What would you have the City do? Say " oh well it is sad that your boy is missing Ma'am, but you are Hispanic and he is disabled so we cannot spare the time and money right now".
Seems lots of persons around here run their mouths about "equality", well that does translate into *ALL* residents receiving the same services from the City.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
DNA says it is Avonte Oquendo
