SPRING HILL, Fla. — A teenage boy was found dead in a retention pond in Spring Hill on Saturday morning, and investigators do not currently believe he was the victim of a violent crime, according to Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis.
During a video update from the scene near Curry Drive and Belton Avenue, Nienhuis said the body was discovered in a retention pond about a mile south of State Road 50 and a few blocks west of Mariner Boulevard.
The sheriff said preliminary information does not indicate the teen suffered any homicidal violence, though he emphasized the investigation remains in its early stages.
"As it stands right now, it does not appear that the body suffered any homicidal violence," Nienhuis said in the video.
Investigators believe an article of clothing linked to the teen may be somewhere within a roughly 10-block area surrounding the scene. Detectives are working to determine the path the teen took before his death and whether he may have walked through nearby yards.
Nienhuis asked residents in the area to check their property for clothing that may be connected to the investigation and contact the sheriff's office if they find anything suspicious.
Detectives are also seeking surveillance video from homes near the scene. Investigators are particularly interested in footage recorded between about 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday.
The sheriff said the Medical Examiner's Office will determine the teen's cause and manner of death.
Authorities said they will provide additional updates as more information becomes available.
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