EPHRATA, Pa. -- New details have emerged in the death of a
teenager at a Lancaster County facility for troubled teens.
A forensic pathologist said the Allentown teen suffocated
after being restrained by staff members at SummitQuest Academy
in Ephrata. Dr. John Shane observed the autopsy of Giovanni
Aletriz, 16, on behalf of his family. News 8 investigative
reporter Susan Shapiro went to Allentown where she spoke to the
doctor and the teen's parents.
Unanswered Questions
SummitQuest Academy, which sits atop a hill in Ephrata, treats
boys with psychiatric and behavioral problems. Giovanni "Joey"
Aletriz died Saturday after being restrained by two staff
members at the facility.
Cynthia Allen, Aletriz's mother, said she's going to fight with
everything she has to get justice for her son.
"They told us it was the best place for him. He'll get help,
coping skills for the future, how to deal with things rest of
his life. There is no more rest of his life," said Allen.
"I asked questions. One pointed the finger. The other
pointed the finger. Nobody knew nothing," said the teen's
father, Jaime Aletriz.
Aletriz died at Ephrata Hospital, the same place where he was
born when his parents lived in Lancaster County.
The Lancaster County coroner has not ruled on a cause of death,
but a forensic pathologist said the initial findings point to
suffocation.
"I believe he was positioned face-down, forcefully held down,
which triggered the asphyxia," said Shane.
SummitQuest issued a statement in reaction to the death. It
addresses restraint in general terms. It said the staff used a
procedure developed by the University of Pittsburgh and that
manual restraint is used only when a resident poses a risk of
harm to himself or others.
Cynthia Allen and Jaime Aletriz have hired attorney Peter
Karoly. The Allentown attorney said they will wait until the
criminal investigation is complete before taking any legal
action. But he said he is outraged at the facts of the case.
"A restraint that results in death should never happen -- no
matter what the circumstances," Karoly said.
Giovanni Aletriz will be buried Saturday with his parents
still questioning how and why he died.
"I miss him so much," Jaime Aletriz said.
"He was love," said his mother.
The Lehigh County Court system recommended Aletriz be placed at
SummitQuest Academy. The head of the county department of human
services said the county would not refer any other boys to the
facility until the conclusion of the investigation.
