Missing 5-year-old Orlando boy found dead, deputies say

The search for a missing five-year-old boy in Central Florida tragically ended early Thursday after the boy's body was found, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said in an update early Thursday.

"It is with a heavy heart that we must report that Aaron Pena was found, deceased, in a body was water not far from his home," the sheriff's office said. "We are grieving his loss and our prayers are with his family."

Officials had been searching for the boy for hours on Wednesday after he reportedly wandered away from his home, near Moss Park and State Road 417. Officials said he had autism and was non-verbal.

No other details were immediately released.

Crime and Public SafetyOrange CountyNewsLake Nona