DELTONA, Fla. – The community of Deltona is coming together Saturday for a candlelight vigil to honor the memory of 7-year-old Charlie Newton, an autistic, non-verbal boy found deceased Tuesday near his home.
The vigil will be held in the backyard of a residence along West Hartley Circle, near where the boy’s body was found.
Chris Hallman, a neighbor, said he spoke to another neighbor who made the devastating discovery Tuesday morning near a lake.
“Our neighbor here, I decided to give him a call, and he was a little distraught when I spoke with him,” Hallman said. “He informed me that he actually found the little boy.”
Hallman said Newton’s body was located across the lake behind their homes.
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Mary Behrens, another neighbor, described watching law enforcement search the night before and into the morning. Behrens also said she remained hopeful Newton would be found alive.
“He looked over, and the little boy was about 20 feet away from him,” Behrens said.
Newton was reported missing by his mother Monday evening after he ran away from their vehicle upon arriving home on Stillwater Avenue.
Volusia County deputies wrote in their report that the family’s home was in poor condition, with a roach infestation, dirty clothing, and a soiled mattress. The Department of Children and Families has since relocated Newton’s mother and her two other children to a nearby hotel.
Neighbors said the search for Newton brought the community together.
“It’s just heartbreaking that this happened before the holiday season,” said Chris Davis, who lives a few houses away. “The community came together. Great support number one, to look for a child that’s not even theirs.”
Neighbors said Saturday’s vigil will focus on honoring Newton’s life.
“It’s sad, very, very sad,” Behrens said. “So we are going to do a candlelit vigil here Saturday for everyone who wants to come to find a little closure and support.”
The vigil will begin Saturday evening on West Hartley Circle in Deltona.
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