EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Socorro Independent School District is facing mounting questions after a seven-year-old boy with autism was able to walk off his elementary school campus unnoticed just days before winter break.
The incident happened on December 18th at Purple Heart Elementary School and involved Benito “Brodie” Zeta, a nonverbal student with level three autism.
According to witnesses, Brodie was later found in the middle of a busy street nearly a block away from campus by two sisters who were driving in the area.
The sisters, Josie and Lucy Lopez spotted the child on Andrew Wiseman street off of Rich Beam and brought him back to the school.
They told KFOX14/CBS4 that when they arrived, administrators initially did not know whether the child was a student there.
That child was later identified by a nurse and teacher as, Benito “Brody” Zeta, who is seven years old and enrolled in a Special Learning Unit (SLU) classroom.
Brodie’s mother, Alyssa Montes, says she first learned about the incident through her mother, who was contacted by the school while Montes was asleep after working overnight shifts.
“She came into the room that morning and she said, ‘Ali, I’m going to give you some information. Don’t be that upset. Brody is okay,’” Montes said. “As soon as she said Brody is okay, I hopped out of bed.”
Montes says she and her mother immediately went to the school, where administrators told her Brody had eloped from campus but was safe.
Once at the school, Montes says administrators told her Brody had only been gone for about 10 minutes, a response she found dismissive and alarming.
“It was very condescending, very discouraging, not comforting at all,” she said. “Because when I asked her, ‘Okay, well, how long was he gone?’ she’s like, ‘Oh, it was only like 10 minutes.’”
According to Montes, staff told her Brody became separated from his class after outdoor playtime and was noticed missing once students returned to the classroom.
She says the principal told her parents had seen Brody across the street or on a nearby side street.
“They never once did they say he was in the middle of the street,” Montes said. “They didn’t say how far he traveled.”
“My son should never have been able to elope from the school,” she said. “So now what’s going to happen? Because this can’t happen again.”
Brody is a level-three autistic child and is nonverbal.
Montes says she had previously warned staff about his history of elopement.
Montes says she felt the school minimized the seriousness of the situation.
“They were like, ‘Oh, this is a new behavior for him,’” she said. “I’m like, ‘It’s not a new behavior. He’s just an opportunist.’”
She says she no longer feels safe sending him to the school and is pushing for a transfer after her initial request was denied.
“I don’t feel safe with my son being in that school,” Montes said. “I don’t feel assured. I don’t feel confident.”
That account conflicts with what witnesses told KFOX14/CBS4.
Josie Lopez, one of the sisters who found Brodie, said he was further than expected from the school.
“He was about the entrance of the speed limit sign,” Lopez said. “That’s about 800 feet from the school.”
Montes says she has since been overwhelmed thinking about what could have happened to her son.
“He could have been hit by a car. He could have been kidnapped. A dog could have gotten him,” she said. “So many things could have happened in just those ten minutes.”
KFOX14/CBS4 made multiple attempts to get answers from district leadership.
After receiving an initial statement from Socorro ISD on Tuesday despite the lack of answers to specific questions, KFOX14/CBS4 reached out again on Wednesday with further follow up questions regarding the different information Montes was given by staff.
Socorro ISD then responded with a statement saying:
Because this matter involves an individual student, the district is limited in what it can share publicly.
Socorro ISD can confirm that the student was located safely and returned to campus, and that the incident was reviewed and addressed by campus and district staff. The student’s family was notified, and the district followed established procedures in responding to the situation.
The district cannot comment on specific conversations with the family, individual student needs, personnel matters, or transfer requests involving a named student. These matters are handled in accordance with district policy and applicable law.
Student safety remains a top priority at Socorro ISD. The district regularly reviews and reinforces campus supervision and safety protocols, particularly when student needs are identified.
Thank you for your understanding.
KFOX14/CBS4 then went searching for answers in-person at a SISD district board meeting.
When asked directly about additional safety protocols before the board meeting, Socorro ISD Superintendent James Vasquez declined to elaborate.
“We stand by our statement that we’ve provided to you,” Vasquez said.
When pressed further, he added, “That’s all I can say.”
After the meeting adjourned, KFOX14/CBS4 asked Board President Michael Najera whether the district is taking additional steps to address student safety.
“The safety of our students is of the utmost importance,” Najera said. “While I’m not able to share specifics of this situation, I can guarantee that in every instance where student safety is a concern, an investigation occurs.”
Najera also addressed broader concerns from parents and community members about student safety, particularly for children with special needs who may have a history of elopement.
“This is a single incident — it doesn’t make it any better,” Najera said. “Safety is our top priority, and we’re doing everything we can to evaluate the protocols in place and make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Speaking directly about the student’s mother, Najera said he wanted to reassure her that her child is safe within the district.
“The safety of our students is absolutely important,” he said. “My children went to Socorro schools. My grandchildren go to Socorro schools. I feel confident they are safe, especially in regard to special needs students.”
When asked how a student was able to leave campus unnoticed, Najera said he was not aware of the specifics but reiterated that protocols are in place.
Montes says she has not been informed of any investigation and has not spoken with district officials beyond school administrators.
She says she asked about additional safety measures, including door locks, especially given that her son was in a small classroom with multiple aides present.
Despite her concerns, Montes expressed gratitude to the women who stopped to help her son.
“I can’t put into words how grateful I am,” she said. “My son is very, very blessed to be safe.”