New Orleans East resident Marco Hernandez donned rain gear and grabbed a machete on Friday morning as he prepared to search the area's thicketed marshes, abandoned homes and waterways until sundown. He joined dozens of community members who have done the same since a 12-year-old non-verbal boy vanished last week.

Hernandez said his motivations are simple: "I have a son."

The search for young Bryan Vasquez went into its ninth day as the New Orleans Police Department weathered criticism over a five-hour lag from when the first call came in and an officer was dispatched to respond. NOPD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said Thursday that the department has launched an internal investigation.

A Times-Picayune analysis of NOPD call logs shows the response in Vasquez’ case was not unusual. T

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