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Death at Kerr Youth Camp Probed
Web Posted: 12/06/2005 12:00 AM CST
Zeke MacCormack
Express-News Staff Writer
An investigation is under way into the weekend
death of a 12-year-old Kerrville boy who was restrained by staff at an
Ingram camp for disabled youngsters, where he'd been placed by the state
five months ago.
Emergency medical responders were called to Star Ranch at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday because the youth was unresponsive after allegedly hitting his
head on the ground, said Kerr County Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer.
The youth, identified as Christening "Mikie"
Garcia, had been placed in "time out" after refusing to obey staff
orders, the sheriff said, "but he evidently got violent and started
banging his own head against the concrete, so they had to restrain him."
Ambulance personnel were unable to revive the boy,
who later died at Sid Peterson Memorial Hospital, Hierholzer said.
Justice of the Peace Bill Ragsdale said preliminary
results of an autopsy Monday at the Travis County medical examiner's
office did not reveal the cause and manner of the boy's death and that
toxicology tests have been ordered.
Hierholzer, who's handling the case as a suspicious
death, said the boy's mother, whose parental rights were terminated by
the state months ago, was upset about her son's fate.
The boy's death also generated grief at the ranch,
which is licensed to serve 32 boys, ages 7 to 17, with learning or
physical disabilities who have been removed from their homes by the
state for being physically abused, said Dave Vinyard, public relations
counsel to Star Ranch.
"The mission of this place is to love and nurture
kids, and this death is a terrible thing," he said.
The ranch, opened 16 years ago by nonprofit Star
Programs Inc., has been investigated five times since Dec. 1, 2003, on
allegations of abuse and/or neglect, including instances of
inappropriate restraints and insufficient supervision, said Patrick
Crimmins of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
"Two of those were ruled out, three are pending,"
Crimmins said. "Any time a child dies, it is very sad and very
unfortunate. We will investigate fully."
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zeke@express-news.net |
