Community Mourns 8-Year-Old Found Near School Pond After Disappearance
On the morning of September 12, 2024, eight-year-old Lionel Ramirez Cervantes disappeared from his second-grade classroom at Bells Crossing Elementary School in Simpsonville, South Carolina. School staff noticed he was missing around 11:00 a.m., despite multiple layers of supervision that included three employees and two classmates. A search began immediately.
Deputies from the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office responded within minutes, bringing in K-9 units and asking local residents to review home security footage. The effort quickly became a community-wide call for help, as fears for Lionel’s safety grew.
Tragically, just after 3:00 p.m., Lionel’s body was located in a secluded pond near Lenox Lake Drive—just a few hundred yards from the school. The sheriff’s office confirmed the heartbreaking news shortly after 4:00 p.m., expressing condolences and pledging support for the family through victim advocates.
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