Car hits family, kills 4-year-old girl in Griffin evicted from condemned apartment complex

GRIFFIN, Ga. – According to the Georgia State Patrol, a four-year-old girl was struck and killed by a car in Griffin last Wednesday evening while trying to cross a busy street with her mother and six-year-old sister. The family stayed at a motel on the North Expressway after city officials condemned their apartment complex earlier this year for its squalid living conditions.

The little girl’s loved ones believe she would still be alive today if they had not been forced from their home.

“That killed us all,” said Clifford Hamilton, the victim’s godfather. “She was a sweet child.”

The girl, who Hamilton identified as Louise Dunmon, 4, died at the scene, he said. Her six-year-old sister and mother were also seriously injured, but doctors expect them to recover.

There was no crosswalk in the area when the accident occurred and cars often travel at least 60 miles per hour along the busy road.

But Hamilton focused his frustration on the circumstances that forced the little girl’s family from their home.

“It wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t been evicted,” he said. “None of this would have happened.”

In August, Griffin city inspectors condemned the Ava Park apartment complex for serious problems, including black mold, water leaks and infestations of cockroaches and rats.

The complex’s owner, Millennia Housing, has been repeatedly criticized for mismanagement at other properties, including the now-demolished Forest Cove in South Atlanta.

Dr. Yoshunda Jones, a community advocate who has worked on behalf of Ava Park tenants, blamed Millennia Housing for abandoning its residents.

“If Millennia had taken their responsibility to maintain this particular complex, then the complex would not have been condemned and the families would not have had to move to these hotels,” said Dr. Jones.

According to several published reports, federal investigators raided the Ohio mansion of the CEO of Millennia Housing two weeks ago.

Dr. Jones said the company reportedly promised to pay hotel bills for displaced people but failed to do so, leaving an $80,000 bill unpaid.

“They skipped the hotel bill,” said Dr. Jones. “They tried to come in and force the residents to actually pay the rent.”

But the Georgia Department of Community Affairs stepped in to ensure displaced families could stay in the hotels while they looked for permanent housing, Jones said.

Meanwhile, Louise’s family struggles with their loss.

“Anyone she came in contact with, she would give you a hug,” Hamilton said.

This is not the first time Millennia Housing has come under scrutiny. In March, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) banned the company from working with the federal government. Last year, HUD warned the company for mishandling security deposits and taxpayer money.

“I feel like people should go to jail for these kinds of things that happen,” said Dr. Jones.

Multiple attempts to reach Millennia Housing for comment were unsuccessful Friday afternoon and evening.

A GoFundMe account was founded to help the family.