'Somebody knows this kid': Police search for identity of child found dead on beach

GALVESTON, Texas -- Galveston police are asking for help identifying a young child found dead on the beach.

The boy was found by a passer-by on the sand in between 7th and 8th streets, just west of Stewart Beach around 5:30 p.m. Friday. Detectives say he was naked and his body was in the early stages of decomposition.

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"This kid deserves justice," said GPD detective Jeff Banks.

What happened to him remains a mystery.

Police had a forensic sketch artist look at pictures of the body and create a sketch in the hope that someone might recognize the boy. More than 48 hours since he was found and investigators still can't say what happened to him, who he is, or how he got here.

"Somebody knows this kid. Whether it's a family member, a friend, day care provider, teacher, next door neighbor, guy at the grocery store that's seen this kid come in. Somebody somewhere here has seen this child," said GPD Captain Josh Schirard.

Investigators describe the boy as about three to five years old, about 3 feet tall, slender, possibly Hispanic with black hair and brown eyes.

What's unusual is that no one has reported him missing, at least not that police have been able to determine. There are no missing person reports locally or even anywhere across the country where the description might match. Investigators have been talking to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children but even they have no reports of a child gone missing that matches this description.

If you recognize this boy, you can contact Galveston Police (409) 765-3776 or Crimestoppers at (409) 763-TIPS.