The parents of a 6-year-old girl with nonverbal autism found dead in a pond last week thanked their community of Norton, Massachusetts, for their support at a candlelight vigil.
It was an emotional evening, with warm embraces on a bitter cold night at St. Mary's Church, where the parents of Josie Pinto took to the stage to share profuse thanks for all those who helped try and find their daughter when she first went missing Friday afternoon
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"All the police officers and firefighters who helped so diligently to try to find my baby, we want to say thank you," Josie's father said.
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Schools in Norton are now offering counseling to those who need it. The community has also been raising money for the family, so far raising more than $70,000 through one fundraising drive.
Ashley Hatsiopoulos, president of the Norton Parent Teacher Committee, described what happened to the Pintos as "unfathomable."
"It's a conversation that I hope to never relive with my children," she said, adding, "we're here in solidarity with the family and I can't express that enough. This is about them and what they need."
