Human remains pulled out of the East River were positively identified Tuesday as the autistic boy who went missing from his school in October, authorities said.
“The remains that were recovered in Queens were those of Avonte Oquendo,” said Julie Bolcer, a spokeswoman with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. “The cause of death and manner are pending further studies.”
DNA tests confirmed that the body parts belonged to the 14-year-old who was captured on video Oct. 4 leaving his school in Long Island City. The boy’s tragic disappearance sparked nationwide press coverage and an intensive search that included thousands of members of the NYPD.
The teen’s mother, who never gave up hope that her son would be found alive, was heartbroken.
She “finally just broke down,” family lawyer David Perecman said at a press conference Tuesday. “She kept saying, ‘It’s Avonte. It’s Avonte.’ ”
The teen’s paternal grandfather, John Oquendo, told The Post Avonte’s father is in agony. “He is very sad and broken,” he said.
Early in the investigation, bloodhounds tracked Oquendo’s scent to the river’s edge, where it disappeared, sources said. The cops searched the river several times and did not find any traces of the boy.
Police sources said the boy had a fear of water but, so far, there are no clear signs of any foul play.
Perecman, who filed suit against the school and the city for losing track of the special-needs student, said the large Fruit of the Loom underwear found on the victim could indicate that it took days for the boy to somehow end up in the water.
Avonte wore Hanes and the size didn’t match, he said.
“That could mean someone got a hold of him or had him with them for a few days,” he said. “Then again, if I had to wear the same clothes day after day, the first item I would want to change would be my underwear.”
Although the child’s family held out hope that he would be found alive, clues began emerging as early as last Thursday that the autistic boy had fallen into the river.
The clothing found on body parts that washed ashore on the rocky banks of the East River in Queens last Thursday night – a striped shirt, black Air Jordans and black jeans — matched those Avonte was last seen wearing when he darted out of school and disappeared forever.