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Community gathers to remember 4-year-old Scotland County boy found in pond

Scotland County is coming together Monday night to say goodbye to 4-year-old Raul Gonzalez Johnson.

Posted Updated

By
David Crabtree
, WRAL anchor/reporter
LAURINBURG, N.C. — Scotland County is coming together Monday night to say goodbye to 4-year-old Raul Gonzalez Johnson.

Community members are expected to gather for a candlelight vigil to remember Raul, who was reported missing by his family after he walked away from his home Wednesday morning.

Authorities said Raul’s grandfather told them he was cooking and lost track of the child. He searched for about 20 minutes before he contacted police and an Amber Alert was later issued.
Raul’s body was found Saturday in a pond off Pea Bridge Road, which is less than a mile from where Raul was last seen.

More than 40 agencies from North and South Carolina, including the FBI, joined in the multi-day search for the boy.

Authorities believe the boy’s death was accidental, but the county medical examiner has not yet determined an official cause of death.

The vigil is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Good News Chapel on Pea Bridge Road in Laurinburg and the public is welcome to attend.

A public visitation will be held Tuesday and a funeral for Raul is scheduled for Wednesday.

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