It was a scene played out all across the Lehigh Valley on New Year's Eve: a family gathered together to celebrate the coming new year.

In the 200 block of East Union Street on Thursday night, 5-year-old Jayliel Vega Batista played with an electronic tablet in an upstairs bedroom of a relative's house as the adults were downstairs.

An autistic 5-year-old from Allentown went missing late in the night of Dec. 31, 2015, in the city's East Side and a search past dawn on Jan. 1, 2016, had yet to locate the child, who wasn't wearing a coat or shoes. (Courtesy photo | For lehighvalleylive.com)

The boy, who had autism, had an aversion to loud noise.

He played videos and games on the tablet alone in the bedroom, though police Capt. Glen Dorney said his parents, Gilberto Vega and Yelitza Batista, checked on him routinely.

Just before 11 that night, the parents went to check on Jayliel again and discovered he had left the room, Dorney said. The child often hid in places and the parents initially thought this was another case of that.

"Then, they realized, 'Oh my God, he's not hiding," Dorney said Sunday, providing the most detailed account yet of the circumstances of the boy's disappearance.

Jayliel's death was nothing more than a tragic accident, police said Sunday.

Authorities interviewed all of the roughly 15 to 20 people who were in house on the city's East Side, near Keck Park.

Dorney said Sunday that no charges are expected to come out of the case and police do not suspect foul play or any negligence or wrongdoing by his parents, who live in the 700 block of Mohawk Street in Allentown.

An autopsy scheduled for Monday morning will provide more information about Jayliel's death, authorities said.

"At this point, there is nothing agreed upon that there was any malice," Dorney said.

By 11:02 p.m. Thursday, police received a report of a child without a jacket and barefoot running into a wooded area near South Aubrey Street, near East Union Street.

The tip came from a credible source -- the wife of a retired Allentown police sergeant. The woman tried to get Jayliel to come to her, but he was frightened and ran, Dorney said.

Police later obtained video footage from a camera at a private residence that supported the sighting.

By 11:18 p.m. Thursday, Gilberto Vega and Yelitza Batista had notified authorities.

Dorney said they searched most of the house first before wanting to cause any alarm. Police suspect Jayliel simply went out a door of the home unnoticed, Dorney said.

"These parents were actively looking for him," he said.

Strength of a community

Hundreds upon hundreds of citizens, law enforcement officers, firefighters, search-and-rescue teams and dogs combed the area surrounding the 200 block of East Union Street.

Teams came from across Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey to aid local law enforcement.

The search ended Saturday afternoon when divers found the child's body about 8 feet from the shoreline of the Lehigh Canal -- less than a quarter-mile from the home of the family member who had hosted the New Year's Eve party.

Dorney said police know from training that children with special needs can gravitate toward bodies of water. Police in helicopters and dogs had focused on water -- specifically the canal, Lehigh River and Jordan Creek during the massive manhunt, Dorney said.

Investigators at times throughout the two-day search were close to recovering the child, Dorney said, especially when a search dog picked up Jayliel's scent near the canal. Police mobilized a dive team.

Shortly after, a man searching the canal Saturday afternoon pulled out Jayliel's red electronic tablet from the water.

Dorney said police believe Jayliel died not long after leaving the house, based on evidence from a Philadelphia police helicopter. The autopsy should help to confirm that, he said.

The helicopter that searched above East Allentown had an infrared scanning system that is able to detect body heat from the sky.

If the boy was in the woods at the time of that helicopter search -- the first came at about 4 a.m. Friday -- the system would have detected Jayliel, he said.

When word got out about Jayliel's disappearance, Dorney said, it spread like wildfire.

Upward of 1,000 citizens hit the ground and spread the word across social media. Many of the same folks took part in a candlelight vigil Saturday evening at Trout Creek Park in south Allentown.

Jayliel's teenage sister, Tayritza Molina, took to social media to express her gratitude, posting videos of the memorial with the hashtag "jaylielsworld."

"My baby was always a angel ... going to stay strong for my baby, since he always made me happy," she wrote. "I love you jayliel, you will always remain in my heart."

Staff at the Nicos C. Elias Funeral Home of Allentown said they are offering funeral expenses at no cost to the family, but they have yet to speak with the parents.

Dorney said the Allentown Police Department was grateful for the help and support during the search.

"It's great that we as an organization can take pride in our community," he said. "They really stepped up to the plate. We as an organization are proud of that."

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.