Tragedy At Discovery Park: Coroner Confirms Body Pulled From Water Was Ziyon Butler

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Sacramento County Coroner's office confirmed the body of a missing five-year-old boy was pulled from the American River Tuesday morning.

Ziyon Jamar Butler's body was found not far from where he originally went missing on Memorial Day. His family was on scene all night hoping to find the child alive after he was last seen sitting on a blanket near the water's edge.

Family members were sick with grief, watching onshore, as the missing child was pulled from the American River.

"They just pulled a baby up out of the water," said Butler's aunt.

A fight broke out on the beach, around 6 p.m. on Monday. That's when family believes Butler, who had been going in and out of the water, suddenly disappeared.

"When we told them our child was missing, they told us to wait, they told us they were busy," said Butler's aunt.

Family is now questioning why crews didn't launch their search and rescue boat into the water Monday after park rangers closed the park to the public, or why they started searching the water late Tuesday morning.

"It's 10 a.m., and y'all just got people in the water, they could've searched the lake last night," said Butler's grandmother.

RELATED: Video Shows Ziyon Butler Shortly Before His Disappearance At Discovery Park

Butler's family confronted police, telling them, "we told you guys yesterday, you refused to help us." But police on the scene told them, they didn't have any answers for them.

"I stopped four police officers yesterday because they had a fight, and I told them my grandson was missing, they told me to wait, they could not help me," said Butler's grandmother.

CBS13 had the same questions for police who handled the investigation as of Monday evening. Police would only say they are waiting for confirmation on identifying Butler through the Sacramento County Coroners Office.

In:
• American River