8-year-old breaks through makeshift barrier, escapes from school and drowns

GREENVILLE COUNTY, SC (FOX Carolina) – New documents reveal more about the events that led to the death of 8-year-old Lionel “Leo” Cervantes.

FOX Carolina Investigates obtained the investigative report from the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.

It provides the coroner’s perspective on the investigation into how Leo, a second-grader at Bells Crossing Elementary School, managed to escape from his classroom and drown in a nearby pond.

The report said there was a “makeshift” barrier at the door to Leo’s classroom that the boy was able to break through.

Greenville County School officials clarified that the “makeshift” barriers are room dividers that are “an educational tool used in classrooms, often in special education classes, for a variety of purposes.”

“They can be used to minimize distractions, including looking at the door, which can be a distraction for some students. They can also be used to teach students how to step outside the boundary with appropriate replacement behaviors; for example, asking for permission to go for a walk.”

The district also said that barriers cannot be placed in front of doors for fire safety reasons. They said a room divider would be placed a little further away from the door rather than in front of it like a barrier.

According to the report, Leo then ran through several hallways before making it outside.

A school security official said four teachers ran after him and used their handheld radios to tell staff to be on guard because they “had a runner,” the report said.

The report also said Leo had run out of his classroom before, but had never managed to leave the school grounds.

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