Community Members Visit Park After Tuesday's Tragic Discovery
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - As authorities in Aurora work to determine whether a body found in an icy pond is that of a 6-year-old boy who went missing, residents are reacting with sadness to the discovery.
"We all hoped that he was still alive and that somebody in the hours that we've put in would find him and he would be okay and he could go back to his family," said Charity Haskins. She and her mother Laura were among the dozens who walked through the neighborhoods around where David Puckett lived looking for him.
Puckett is believed to have wandered away from his house on Saturday, and it's not clear how he might have wound up in the water at Olympic Park along East Yale Avenue. That's two or three blocks away from his home.
During Monday's search effort, dogs apparently wound up finding Puckett's scent near the pond. A dive team found the body Tuesday morning, and crime tape went up as investigators studied the area for clues.
Since then residents like the Haskins have been coming to the park. Some have left behind mementos like teddy bears and candles.
A resident named Steve and his son Cody laid flowers next to the pond Tuesday evening. He said he was heartbroken by what happened.
"It's a sad thing because that family doesn't have their kid tonight, and I've got him tonight," Steve said. "I wish he would have made it home."
RELATED: Police Chief Informs Puckett's Family About The Discovery
Counselors have been brought in to Puckett's school, Dartmouth Elementary, for students and staff who might be struggling with the news.
