Body Found in Pond Is Believed to Be Missing 4-Year-Old Boy: Police

A North Carolina 4-year-old is believed to be dead after police found a body in a pond near his home Saturday.

The FBI said a body was discovered as workers were draining a pond just one mile from the boy's home in Laurinburg on Saturday afternoon.

Raul Gonzalez Johnson went missing on Jan. 24 while his grandfather was watching him at his mobile home, according to reports. 

His grandfather reportedly searched for the young child for 20 minutes before calling police.

An Amber Alert was initiated as well as a 40-person search effort to try to locate the boy.

Canine units eventually led investigators to the pond, which the landowners agreed to let the FBI drain, reports said.

"We have prayed, but this the outcome everyone feared and it is heartbreaking," Scotland County Sheriff Ralph Kersey said at a press conference Saturday.

The Scotland County Medical Examiner's Office is working to confirm the identity and cause of death. 

Authorities said they do not believe foul play was involved.

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