Missing child found dead in pond near Chester County home

A child with autism who had gone missing was found dead in a pond near his Chester County home Monday, police said.

Kennett Township Police were sent to search for the 5-year-old boy who had gone missing from his home on the 600 block of Chandler Mill Road, in Kennett Township, Monday afternoon, police said. When officers arrived, they scoured the area, checking the boy’s house, nearby homes, and a “large, wooded area,” police said.

The boy’s name was not released pending notification of his family.

Kennett Township police found the boy in a pond on a neighbor’s property, police said. Despite first responders attempting lifesaving measures, the boy was taken to Nemours Children’s Hospital, in Delaware, where he was pronounced dead.

Police continue to investigate the circumstances leading up to the boy’s death.