HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – A missing 3-year-old boy was found dead inside a Hollywood home, police said.
Hollywood police Chief Frank Fernandez said the body of Ahziya Osceola was discovered late Thursday night inside the home where he lived with his father and stepmother.
Fernandez said the body was found "in an obscure location not readily visible to the average person." He didn't say how the boy died.
The chief said it wasn't known how long the boy had been there.
Ahziya's body was removed from the house Friday morning.
Police spent most of Thursday searching for the boy with the help of bloodhounds and a helicopter.
Ahziya was last seen alive Thursday morning in the 5400 block of Johnson Street.
Kenneth Tommie said his grandson was being watched by the boy's stepmother when he disappeared.
A Broward Sheriff's Office spokeswoman told Local 10 News that the agency's Child Protective Investigations Section has had prior contact with the Osceola family regarding Ahziya.
According to the Florida Department of Children and Families, there were four prior reports involving the family.
In 2013, a report of substance abuse was closed with "not substantiated" findings and "no indicators" for physical injury.
The second incident happened in January 2014 after the boy was found wandering a hotel lobby while his mother, Karen Cypress, was under the influence in her room. That incident led to the father taking custody of Ahziya.
In April 2014 and again just last month, reports of abuse by the father, Nelson Osceola, were closed.
Public records show that both parents have previously been arrested.
Ahziya's siblings will be looked after by other family members for now. A judge rescheduled a custody hearing for Monday because the boy's father did not have an attorney Saturday.
Police have not made any arrests but continue to interview family members.
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