Arizona mother demands accountability after son’s death while in DCS custody

MESA, AZ — Serious questions are being raised about the Arizona Department of Child Safety after newly released records show a 15-year-old boy died in DCS custody while living in a Mesa group home.

Christian Williams, 15, is now the second child with Type 1 diabetes to die in state custody. This is the second child allowed to refuse his insulin, the life-saving medication he needs to live, according to police reports and a state incident report.

“They failed us,” said Christian’s mother, Bobbie Williams.

911 call from group home came too late

The cry for help came two months ago and haunts the Williams family.

“What’s going on?” » the 911 dispatcher asked the woman who called from the group home.

“Yes. I have a young person who refuses insulin or medical help. I’m not going anywhere. Now he’s making weird noises on the floor,” the employee said.

“He’s making a scene. Now he’s acting like he’s dead on the floor,” group home staff later told the 911 dispatcher.

The call for help ultimately came too late to save Christian’s life.

“They could have called sooner,” Bobbie Williams said.

Christian was found unresponsive inside the Mesa group home where he lived, according to the police report.

“They assumed he was faking it because he had behavioral problems,” said Christian’s father, DeForrest Williams.

“And he was looking for attention,” Bobbie said.

But the records show they were wrong.

Police body camera video shows response

Body camera video obtained by ABC15 investigators details the response from Mesa police and fire.

The video calls into question whether employees at the group home were properly trained to manage Christian’s diabetes.

“So now he’s pretending to be dead on the ground,” a woman at the scene told the Mesa officer.

The group home employee then told the Mesa officer, “He’s fine.” He holds his breath.

But once the officers and paramedics got inside, the situation escalated.

The video shows Christian not responding. Paramedics have to physically carry him out of the toilet where he was found.

“We need to get his heart pumping,” a paramedic said on the body camera video.

According to the Mesa police report: “Christian’s lips appeared blue and his eyes were barely open. »

“Paramedics began performing chest compressions after discovering he was not breathing,” the report states.

“It’s very difficult for me to watch these videos and read about what happened,” Bobbie said.

Christian died in hospital a few days later July 10, 2024. The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be diabetic ketoacidosis, a preventable disease caused by a lack of insulin.

“I lost my baby. He was my firstborn. I’ll never get it back,” Bobbie said. “We placed our trust in the Arizona Department of Child Safety.”

Christian had mental health issues

Christian lived with his parents all his life, except the last seven months. As Christian grew older, he began to have mental health issues. Her family turned to the Arizona Department of Child Safety for help.

“We were told they had more resources than we could do on our own,” DeForrest said.

“He was in their custody,” Bobbie said, while holding back tears. “And I beat myself up every day for making that decision.”

Incident report shows DCS knew group home had concerns

The incident report from Catalyst Community Corporation, the group home where Christian lived, only amplifies the family’s anger and frustration.

The report states that a few weeks before Christian’s death, group home officials held an emergency Child and Family Team meeting with DCS during which they stated that Christian was “in need of a higher level of care due to his medical issues and mental health. Even though the team was in agreement (agreement), no progress was made to make these changes.

“How could you?” DeForrest said.

It was also the second time in two weeks, records show, that Christian needed emergency care for his diabetes while living at the group home.

“I said…what will it take for my son to die?” » said Bobbie. “And then two weeks later we get this call.”

Another child with type 1 diabetes has died in DCS care

ABC15 investigators previously reported on the death of 9-year-old Jakob Blodgett, who died just 18 days after being taken into DCS custody.

Jakob was a Type 1 diabetic and died in December 2022. Records show he was also allowed to refuse his insulin, the life-saving medication he needed to live, while in another nursing home. group under contract with the State.

Sen. TJ Shope, R-Casa Grande, demanded accountability and answers following ABC15’s reporting on Jakob’s death.

“Why didn’t you learn the first time?” Why haven’t you changed then? Why does it have to be another child? » said Bobbie.

It’s the job of the Arizona Department of Child Safety to protect the state’s most vulnerable children, and DCS pays group homes to care for children like Christian.

The lawyer files a notice of claim

Attorney Robert Pastor filed a lawsuit against DCS and the group home in Jakob’s case.

“It’s the Department of Child Safety, and they’ve lost sight of children and the concept of safety.”

Pastor now also represents the Williams family and recently sent DCS and the group home a notice of claim, which is the precursor to a lawsuit.

The complaint alleges that “the Arizona Department of Child Safety has a pattern and practice of placing children in foster care who pose an unreasonable risk of harm.” »

“It’s a total disgust. Like, “You did that again, what’s wrong with you?” “, declared the pastor.

Under the contract and state license with Catalyst Community Corporation, administrative rules state that a group home must “ensure that each child in care receives all prescribed medications at the prescribed time and in the prescribed dose.” .

“Instead, they sat there and said, ‘oh, he’s faking it.’ And they were completely wrong. Unfortunately, that meant Christian was dead,” the pastor said.

For over a year, ABC15 has been asking DCS what changes were made to prevent another tragedy. But DCS declined to answer that question, citing ongoing litigation.

“Here are two children who died. What are you doing? Do we need a third? said the pastor.

The Williams family is sharing their story because they want DCS to change and make sure no other family has to endure their pain.

“It’s not fair for a mother to go to a graveside and have lunch with her son,” Bobbie said through tears.

DCS opens investigation after Christian’s death

DCS responded to ABC15’s report and said the agency shares the grief of The family is experiencing the tragic loss of Christian.

“Sometimes children come to us facing increasingly serious medical and behavioral crises. Our team of providers are working hard to meet the child’s medical and behavioral needs,” a DCS spokesperson said in a statement.

The agency also said:

“In response to this tragedy, the department is currently investigating this incident and reviewing licensing rules to determine if anything different can be done to better understand and care for young people facing extreme health challenges. »

DCS said the results of the investigation will be made public once completed.

ABC15 contacted Governor Hobbs and requested an on-camera interview to discuss this failure within his state agency, but the interview request was denied.

“As a social worker, I worked directly with children like Christian in hopes of giving them a better life. This experience has guided my work throughout my career,” Governor Hobbs said in a statement. “As governor, I continue to be committed to protecting the health and safety of all Arizonans, especially vulnerable children like Christian, and all children in DCS’ care. I am heartbroken by Christian’s story and I send my deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.

ABC15 called and emailed the group home’s administrator several times, but did not receive a response by deadline.

Do you have any advice for the ABC15 investigators? Email Investigator Jennifer Kovaleski at [email protected].

Read the full statement from DCS below:

“We share the grief his family is experiencing following the tragic loss of Christian. Sometimes children come to us with increasingly serious medical and behavioral crises. Our team of providers work hard to meet the child’s medical and behavioral needs.

We have many rules in place to guide providers who care for our children. You can find them here. (apps.azsos.gov)

In response to this tragedy, the Department is currently investigating this incident and reviewing licensing rules to determine if anything different can be done to better understand and care for young people facing extreme health challenges.

The Department is committed to strengthening our partnerships with the provider community, including our medical, behavioral health, and contract providers. We are committed to learning from these tragedies and making any necessary improvements to improve care and safety. Through our robust multidisciplinary review process, we strive to foster collaboration, ensure continuous learning, and improve outcomes for Arizona’s children and families.