Two boys, ages 3 and 5, discovered dead in Daytona Beach pond after leaving home during mother's nap, police say

Police in Daytona Beach, Florida, said two young brothers were discovered dead in a nearby pond after they slipped out of their apartment while their mother was asleep. The boys, 3-year-old Kashh and 5-year-old Elijah, were reported missing on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, before their bodies were recovered from the water near the family's apartment complex. Elijah was autistic, police said, and authorities noted that children with autism often have a heightened attraction to water. Daytona Beach Police Chief Jakari Young told reporters that detectives think the deaths were accidental and that they have found no signs of foul play. "This is your greatest nightmare – to lose both of your children in that fashion," Young said. According to Young, the boys' single mother gave them food around 5 p.m. Saturday and then lay down for a brief rest. Roughly 15 minutes later, when she got up, both boys and the family dog were gone from the apartment. "She does have a child safety lock on the door, so apparently, they figured out how to navigate that child safety lock, and they exited the apartment," Young said. Surveillance footage reviewed by police shows the children running around before entering the pond. Shortly afterward, the video shows their mother coming outside. "She was trying to do her due diligence to see if she could locate the children before calling 911," Young said. "But by then, based on what we can see now on the surveillance video, they were already submerged in the water." Although Young said he believes the deaths were accidental, the matter has been referred to the State Attorney's Office, which will determine whether the mother will face charges. Neighbors said they hope the apartment complex will install fencing or take other steps to protect people from the pond.