SOUTH BAY (KGTV) — The funeral for Julian Guerrero, the 15-year-old boy found dead inside Otay Valley Regional Park on Friday, May 15, is set for this Saturday at noon at Funeraria del Angel Chula Vista.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family with funeral expenses.
As his family prepares to lay him to rest, Julian's mother said she is still waiting for answers about whether more could have been done to save him.
Julian was first reported missing on Thursday, May 14. The following morning, his missing persons flyers circulated across social media.
Neighbors were seen scouring the South Bay looking for him.
Then on Friday morning, San Diego police reported a body was discovered inside Otay Valley Regional Park in Fenton Pond, and it appeared to be a Hispanic, teenage male.
Julian's mother, Laura Guerrero Gomez, said she was the one who ultimately led authorities to her son.
Guerrero Gomez said a homeless man was seen riding Julian's bike on Friday, and after she asked where he got it, he led her to the area where Julian's body was recovered.
Guerrero Gomez said when she first reported Julian missing, she told police her son was autistic, had a mental disability, and was taking medication — factors that made him especially vulnerable.
Jose, Guerrero Gomez's other son, translated for ABC 10News from Spanish to English, and said that his mother still has many questions.
"She wants to know why there was no urgency, and looking for him, there was no Amber Alert. There was no helicopter trying to look for him. She had to do everything herself."
Guerrero Gomez also questioned how her son's missing case was overall handled.
Jose said, "The officer who took the initial report is the same officer who showed up [at Fenton Pond]. She was begging the officer, and there was no help whatsoever. He didn't want to go into the park. They didn't want to question the person who had the bike."
The family also has questions about how Julian ended up in the water.
"He doesn't know that area, he doesn't like water, and he doesn't know how to swim," Jose said.
Guerrero Gomez also added that when she found her son, he was naked in the pond.
"She definitely thinks that it wasn't accidental that something somebody did to him," Jose said. "She's pretty much feeling destroyed at this point because we weren't taken seriously from the beginning. Julian didn't deserve all that."
Jose said his mother wants justice and hopes another family who has a child with a disability doesn't have to face the same experience with SDPD as she did.
Julian was positively identified by the Medical Examiner's Office days after he was found dead.
ABC 10News reached out to The San Diego Police Department for explanations on how they handled Julian's case.
A spokesperson told ABC 10News their hearts go out to Julian's family in the following statement:
Our hearts go out to Julian’s family for their loss. We understand there may be questions about what led to his death. At this time, the case is not being treated as a homicide, so it is not under SDPD’s purview. It is being handled by the Medical Examiner’s Office. If their investigation shows indications of a crime, then SDPD’s Homicide Unit would take over responsibility for the investigation. Based on the information officers received at the time of the report, SDPD's initial response was for a runaway juvenile. Officers were told where he normally frequents and began checking several locations; however, they were unable to locate him. A report was taken, and his name and picture were added to the log for missing juveniles. SDPD did additional follow-up with the family on the morning of May 15, prior to him being found in the Otay Valley Regional Park. The decision to identify the body was in the hands of the Medical Examiner’s Office that day. Any further questions about the investigation can be directed to them.
ABC 10News has requested an autopsy, investigative and toxicology report from the Medical Examiner's office in Julian's cause of death.
