EXCLUSIVE: Monster Mom Arrested and Charged With Neglect After Mentally Disabled Son, 12, was Killed by an Alligator... As Officials Call the Case 'Emotional and Really Traumatic'
So-called 'monster mom,' Hilda Vasquez was arrested after her disabled son, 12, was killed by an alligator in a tragic case.
Oct. 19 2025, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
Bryan Vasquez was killed by an alligator after wandering away from his Louisiana home – and the mentally disabled 12-year-old's mom has been arrested in connection with his death, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Hilda Vasquez, 34, was taken into custody nearly two weeks after Bryan's remains were found in a lagoon not far from the family's residence in New Orleans. Investigators say the nonverbal youngster, who had a neurodevelopmental disorder and did not understand English or Spanish, was reported missing on August 12 after last being seen wearing an adult diaper and walking in an unknown direction.
But hopes for a happy ending were dashed on August 26 when Bryan's lifeless body was discovered by United Cajun Navy volunteers.
Tragic Ending For The Boy
Police said the mother showed a pattern of negligence that caused her 12-year-old mentally disabled son to suffer.
The Orleans Parish Coroner's Office determined the child's cause of death was blunt trauma consistent with an alligator attack and drowning.
Now, police said Hilda is charged with negligent homicide and second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, and allege there was a pattern of negligence by the mom and that the boy had previously been a victim of trauma.
Deputy Superintendent Nicholas Gernon said: "We believe that we can prove that that pattern of negligence and abuse led to ... undue pain and suffering on [Bryan's] part."
Bryan's mother was arrested after the 12-year-old was killed in an alligator attack.
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Gernon also said in the past, Hilda was convicted of cruelty to a juvenile for abusing Bryan when he was 3 months old, causing a skull fracture, broken legs and a collapsed lung. While the tot was removed from his mother's care, the lawman explained he was eventually returned to her by the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services.
If freed on bail, Hilda is barred from having contact with her three remaining children while the case is pending.
Assistant Superintendent Hans Ganthier said: "This was an emotional and really traumatic case, not just for the community, the family, but also our own officers."
