The body of a 5-year-old boy from Florida was recovered from the waters of Lake Lelia about six hours after he was reported missing, authorities said.
The boy’s mother, 29-year-old Philletta Moransit was reported missing as well together with her son, Chance Peterkin, who were both last seen on Thursday around 9 a.m. when they left a home on Purcell Street in Avon Park on foot, according to a news release from the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
Police located Moransit about two hours into the search. She was found on the campus of South Florida State College but she was not cooperating with authorities in their search for Chance.
The mother is now facing charges for aggravated manslaughter of a child and unlawful desertion of a child, according to online arrest records, Action News reported.
As the investigation continued, deputies located some of the woman’s clothing near the eastern side of Lake Lelia, which became the main focus area in the search for Chance.
Highlands County Sheriff Paul Blackman announced the news after discovering the body of the boy around midnight following an extensive search by boat around the lake for multiple hours, according to the release.
“We have some tragic news,” the office stated. “The body of 5-year-old Chance Peterkin was located in the water of Lake Lelia.”
The office said multiple boats from two different agencies were used in the search. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) as well as the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) worked together by covering both Lake Lelia and Lake Glenada.
In addition to the extensive search by boat, teams of deputies also scoured the heavily wooded area around the lake on foot with multiple special trained K-9 dogs.
A FLIR-equipped drone and helicopter were also used to conduct aerial searches, both of which failed to locate a heat signature, the release stated.
Police said the investigation is still ongoing and additional details were not immediately available.
