Parents seek answers after 17-year-old found dead in Deerfield Beach canal

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DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. — The parents of 17-year-old D’Quan Mizzick say they are left with more questions than answers after their son’s body was found Tuesday in a canal off Southwest 12th Avenue in Deerfield Beach.

“We don’t know. Don’t know,” his mother said. “We’re holding on to the Lord, but we don’t think he went swimming.”

Mizzick’s body was discovered after he disappeared Sunday. His mother said the last text message she received from him was asking her to pick him up and take him to church.

“The last text he text me he said he wanted me to come get him and bring him to church with me and I told him to stay put, but he went over to his cousins,” she said.

According to his mother, Mizzick left the Fort Lauderdale area Sunday to help babysit his younger cousins. At some point, the 17-year-old vanished, prompting his partner to immediately begin searching for him, including near the body of water by Interstate 95 where he was later found.

“I remember telling my husband this is where my baby is, in this water,” his mother said. “My spirit told me my son was there in that water.”

The circumstances surrounding how Mizzick ended up in the canal remain under investigation.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office told Local 10 News that no foul play is suspected pending the results of an autopsy.

Mizzick was an active member of the Dillard “Kids on Fire” gospel choir and frequently shared his faith on social media.

“What’s holding me up is trusting God even when situations don’t look like what you expect,” his father said. “We’ll process this now by just trusting God through the process.”

Both of Mizzick’s parents are ministers at City of Expectation and say they are relying on their faith as investigators work to determine what happened.

“On Sunday morning, he was like, ‘Can I please get a hug?’ And he held us so tight and said, ‘I love you guys,’” his mother said. “We said we love you too. That was it. It was like he knew something was going to happen.”

The family will hold a celebration of life at 6 p.m. Saturday at the location where Mizzick’s body was found.

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They have also created a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses.

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About The Author
Samiar Nefzi

Samiar Nefzi

Samiar Nefzi joined the Local 10 News team in August of 2023.