Port Charlotte neighborhood mourns 4-year-old Evelyn Geer

Author: Amy Galo Writer: Rachel Murphy
Published: Updated:

You can feel the pain in this Port Charlotte Neighborhood. People packed the street overnight — neighbors, police, deputies — urgently searching for the missing little girl.

Now it’s quiet as the community suffers through such a terrible loss.

“It’s sad to know that she lost her life.” Jivawn Benjamin, a neighbor, said.

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office says Evelyn, who is on the autistic spectrum, somehow escaped the home her family was renting in Port Charlotte between one and three a.m.

For five hours, people searched for her. By 8 a.m. they found the four-year-old girl dead in a canal near her temporary home.

“It just breaks my heart, man, I can’t believe it. It’s so sad.” Tony Miller, neighbor, said.

Tensions were high during the search. When the tragic news started to spread, emotions overflowed.

While the family copes with the death of their beautiful little girl, neighbors said they’ll pay.

“I feel bad for them. I’m sure they were just diligently looking for this kid.” Miller said.

The family was staying at a rental home temporarily because they were displaced by Hurricane Ian. In their old house, they had deadbolts on the door to keep something like this from happening. In their rental, they did not.

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