State Probes Suicide Try of Boy at Shelter
Saturday, June 17, 2000
BY CAROL MARBIN MILLER
cmarbin@herald.com
Juvenile justice authorities are investigating the attempted
suicide of a 15-year-old boy who was ordered to remain in a
state-licensed Broward County shelter after his parents kicked him
out of their home.
The boy, who was not identified by state officials, tried to hang
himself Monday evening at the Lippman Family Center, an Oakland Park
shelter for runaways and delinquents. He remains hospitalized,
although officials would not provide any details regarding his
condition.
``The inspector general's office is looking into this,'' said
Diane Hirth, a spokeswoman for the Department of Juvenile Justice in
Tallahassee. ``There is an independent investigation, and at this
point it is ongoing.
``When we get the inspector general's report, we will take
appropriate action,'' Hirth added.
The boy was arrested recently after an altercation with his
mother and was charged with domestic violence, sources said. At a
hearing before Broward Circuit Judge Dorian Damoorgian, the boy's
parents insisted that he not return home while the charges were
pending. He was ordered to reside at the shelter for runaways in
Oakland Park.
Sgt. Richard LaCerra of the Oakland Park Police Department said
the boy's roommate discovered him hanging in their room Monday
evening. Staff members of the shelter immediately called for
assistance, said Joy Margolis, a spokeswoman for Lutheran Services
Florida, a private not-for-profit agency that operates the shelter.
The boy was placed in intensive care with undisclosed injuries.
Sources told The Herald the boy originally was in grave condition
and had remained for a time on life support.
``His progress has improved,'' said Margolis, who said she does
not know the extent of his injuries. ``He appears to be progressing
in a positive way, which is all I know.''
``We very much regret the incident. We are very concerned for the
family and the boy,'' Margolis said. ``We have been operating
shelters for 10 years, and this is, to my knowledge, a unique
experience for us.
``We are investigating to determine exactly what occurred, how
and when,'' Margolis said. ``We don't really know everything that
occurred.''
For their part, Juvenile Justice officials say they will not
discuss the incident until their formal investigation is finished.
``This is similar to a law enforcement investigation,'' Hirth said.
``We don't release anything until the investigation by the inspector
general is completed.''
The 28-bed Lippman Center, named after former state Rep. Fred
Lippman, currently houses eight children, said Margolis, who works
in the social service agency's Tampa headquarters.
The Juvenile Justice Department last inspected the shelter in
March, giving it a ``satisfactory'' overall ranking. The rating
means the shelter fulfilled state requirements ``almost all of the
time.'' In several areas of performance, the shelter earned a
``superior'' rating, records show.
There was one exception, however. Under the category of program
security, the Lippman Center received a rating of only 54 percent,
earning the center a ``marginally satisfactory'' rating, according
to department records.
Lutheran Services Florida, which is part of an international
social services network in existence much of the past century,
offers youth and family services, guardianship programs for elders,
disaster relief, and resettlement services for impoverished
immigrants.
Last year, nearly 3,000 children were housed in the six
residential shelters the agency operates in Florida, agency records
show. Lutheran Services has provided social services in Florida for
two decades.
Children can end up at the shelter in a variety of ways. Some
kids enter the shelter voluntarily, after tiring of living on the
streets. Others are ordered to live there by a judge following an
arrest on criminal charges or a referral for truancy or other
delinquent behavior.
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