The body of a missing 7-year-old boy was recovered in a pond near his Texas home

The remains of a missing child were recovered from a pond in a small Texas town over the weekend. 

Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a 7-year-old boy named Jesus J. Castellanos-Carreon who went missing near his home in Elgin, a city over 20 miles east of Austin around 2:43 p.m. Sunday. 

After noticing Jesus was gone, his parents immediately began to search the around the area near their home, according to a Facebook post by the Sheriff’s Office.  

The parents found signs that indicated Jesus may have made his way to a large pond near their home, contacting emergency services with the information.

Air, water and ground searches were conducted by the Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office and other first responding agencies in an attempt to locate Jesus.

 A water search team with the Austin Police Department located Jesus in the pond later that same evening. The water temperature was 56 degrees and the body was submerged under five feet of water according to the Sheriff’s Office. 

“Jesus was autistic. It is not uncommon for autistic children to be attracted to water such as ponds, pools, and water tanks,” the post stated.

Her boy wandered from home and died:This mom wants you to know the perils of 'elopement.'

Wandering, elopement can be a concern for parents of children with autism

Wandering, or elopement is the propensity of children or adults on autism spectrum to slip away from a safe environment and into possible danger, a possibility families and parents must contend with. 

A child from Michigan about five years younger than Jesus, slipped out of his home late last month while a relative was in the shower. The body of 2-year-old Jermaine Jones, a curious curly-haired toddler who had autism and was nonverbal, was found the next day in a river nearby. 

Elopement affects almost half of children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to a 2016 study. 

A National Autism Association review of more than 800 elopement cases between 2011 and 2016, found nearly a third were either fatal or required medical attention, while another 38% involved a close call with water, traffic, or another life-threatening situation, USA Today previously reported. 

Many children, like Jermaine and Jesus, with autism are drawn toward bodies of water. 

"That's one of the primary concerns with students with autism when they elope. Unfortunately, you will hear many times on the news about how a person has gone missing from home, and then you'll find out they were found in a lake or a pond or a swimming pool,” Christie Mandeville, an educational consultant at the Weinfeld Education Group who works with special needs children previously shared with USA Today. 

Sometimes people with autism elope because they are overwhelmed with sensory stimulation that is too loud or bright, but the most common trigger of elopement is a desire to get closer to an object that draws their attention or curiosity. 

"They remember something that was in a certain spot and they want to go get it, or they see something that they really like," she said. In rarer cases, individuals elope because they simply enjoy "the sensation of walking or running,” Megan Boyle, the associate vice president of applied research at nonprofit Upstate Caring Partners previously told USA Today. 

Family raising funds for funeral service 

Jesus’s family is asking the public to assist with funeral costs so they “can properly send this little angel to rest,” his cousin Jasmine Frias wrote on GoFundMe. 

The family began to search for Jesus as soon as they noticed he wasn’t in the backyard, wandering from the home with his dogs around 2 p.m. 

“Police were called and started searching as well. Police found his little shoes in a pond near the area and started a search and rescue,” Frias wrote. 

Family, friends and members of the Elgin community continued to search for him hours after the search and rescue operation had officially began.

“If you ever meet him you know how sweet and happy he was. Always trying to make us smile with his laughs and smiles, his sweet hugs that would warm anyone up. Please keep your thoughts and prayers for the family, thank you,” the post stated. 

The GoFundMe has raised $14,176 as of Wednesday. 

Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman