Body of missing father recovered from Cocoa pond, police say

Police said an investigation into his cause of death is still underway

COCOA, Fla. – A 911 caller at Bracco Pond Park reported seeing a man’s body in the water Monday morning, according to the Cocoa Police Department.

“They had seen a body floating in the pond,” spokesperson Yvonne Martinez said.

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Martinez said that when police recovered the body, detectives identified 50-year-old Aaron Hanna as a missing father last seen Saturday night.

Police said Hanna lived in a home close to the pond, and the family member who reported him missing Saturday told police he’d been acting strange.

“The detectives have to create a timeline of his last known whereabouts, his last known contacts,” Martinez said. “Do the best they can to determine what his activity involved during that timeframe.”

Martinez said detectives don’t yet know whether Hanna drowned or how long his body was in the water.

Police said Hanna leaves behind a 9-year-old son, whom neighbor Betty Jordan said came over to her home as he was crying Sunday.

Jordan said the boy’s grandmother is now taking care of him.

“He was in tears, sitting on his bike in my front yard for about an hour, saying, ‘Where is my dad?’” the neighbor said.

Police haven’t said whether the man’s body had visible injuries or whether there were any other signs of criminal activity.

Police told News 6 they are waiting on autopsy results.

“Obviously, the circumstances are suspicious, but what the cause of death was is still to be determined,” Martinez said.

An investigation is still underway. Check back with News 6 for updates.

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About the Author

James joined News 6 in March 2016 as the Brevard County Reporter. His arrival was the realization of a three-year effort to return to the state where his career began. James is from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Penn State in 2009 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

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