SCOTLAND COUNTY, NC (WBTW) – A vigil was held Monday night for a four-year-old boy found dead over the weekend.
Family, friends, and neighbors gathered at Good News Chapel in Scotland County to remember Raul Gonzalez Johnson.
The boy was reported missing on Wednesday and, after days of searching, officials with the FBI and Scotland County Sheriff’s Office said a four-year-old’s body was found in a pond near where Raul lived.
Many people showed up and lit candles as family members shared memories of Raul.
“The last moment that I saw him was on Tuesday at 7:20,” recalled one of Raul’s uncles. “Every time that he sees me, he thought I was a punching bag and he started punching me.”
His uncle said Raul’s death was unexpected, but the family knows he is at peace.
“One thing we know, that he is in a better place now, he is in heaven,” he said about the four-year-old. “That little baby, that little boy is more alive than you and I because he’s in heaven right now.”
Raul’s aunt, Kasey Locklear, said Raul was a happy child who loved to play outside.
“He loved animals. He loved trucks. He loved Paw Patrol. He was a very happy, excited average four-year-old,” said Locklear.
The family released Paw Patrol balloons after the vigil in Raul’s honor.
Locklear said the past week has been extremely emotional for the family and that Raul’s siblings are trying to comprehend what happened.
“They’re kids themselves, some not understanding, still trying to deal,” she said. “Still asking a lot of questions. They want to see him.”
Raul’s aunt said her family is devastated by the loss of the four-year-old.
“I really expected to go out and look for a couple hours and say, ‘Where have you been? Don’t do that to us no more,’ and never in a million years would I have ever imagined that this would be the outcome of his situation,” she said.
The family said they are thankful for the law enforcement officers and hundreds of volunteers who never gave up on the search for Raul.
“We’re so thankful for everything that everyone has done,” said Locklear. “It’s very shocking I guess, the support and the people that have come out, the donations. It has really taken a burden off of her [Raul’s mom], off of us as a family, because everybody has blessed us with so much food, supplies you name it.”
The North Carolina Medical Examiners Office has confirmed that the body found in the pond on Saturday is Raul Gonzalez Johnson, according to Scotland County Sheriff Ralph Kersey.
There is no evidence of physical abuse, according to Kersey, and drowning was the cause of death. Kersey says no foul play is suspected. Investigators and the FBI said they believe the child’s death was accidental.
The family will receive friends 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday evening at McDougald Funeral Home, located at 305 E. Church Street. Raul’s funeral is Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Northview Harvest Ministries. The family said it is open to the public.
