DOMINICUE ANDREWS - 18 Months - Deceased; found in alley outside Daycare - Homestead FL

Police are investigating the homicide of a 18-month-old baby boy whose body was found outside a daycare.Miami-Dade
Police homicide detectives, along with investigators from the
Department of Children and Families, are on the scene as they look into
how a baby could have been murdered. Police received a call at
about 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, from the JLC Child Care Center, located in the
area of 1100 North Krome Ave., in Homestead.Miami-Dade Police
Detective Roy Rutland said a sibling of the baby attended the daycare,
but it remains unknown if the victim was enrolled in the daycare. It is
also unclear how the baby wound up in an alley. his body has been
covered with a yellow tarp at the scene.Police ordered parents to pickup their children at the daycare as they continue to investigate.
Read more: http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/21004820745513/#ixzz1Rx6arRcx

18-Month-Old Boy Found Dead Outside Daycare

Posted: 6:46 am EDT July 13, 2011
Updated6:53 am EDT July 13, 2011

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Authorities are investigating the death of a young boy found dead outside a South Florida daycare center.

Homestead police say paramedics found 18-month-old Dominicue Andrews near a van parked at Jomiba Learning Center around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Because it was an unexplained death, Miami-Dade police took over the investigation.

Officials say the boy lived with his grandmother and 17-year-old father, Rashaad Easterly. The grandmother told The Miami Herald the child had been picked up by the daycare's van at 7:35 a.m. Tuesday.

Records show the daycare center had 66 children and nine staff members during a recent inspection.

Police spokesman Roy Rutland says police were interviewing employees and the van driver.


http://www.wftv.com/news/28530893/detail.html

The baby was left in a vehicle in the hot Florida sun. He died from heat exhaustion. Cooked to death so to speak. The investigation continues.

Toddler may have died in hot van

The 22-month-old boy found dead at a Homestead daycare may have died after workers forgot to get him out of the center’s van, state officials say.

By Diana Moskovitz
dcwalter@MiamiHerald.com

The 22-month-old toddler found dead at a Homestead daycare center may have perished because he was left behind in the center’s van all day where temperatures may have reached in the mid-90s.

“Based upon what was observed, it looks like the child was in the van and that was how he died,” said Jacqui Colyer, the Florida Department of Children & Families’ top Miami administrator.

Colyer said that conclusion was reached based on the child’s condition when the police found him.

CBS4 later quoted sources as saying that the driver had told police that the boy died in the van.

But questions remained Wednesday about the final moments of Dominicue Andrews’ short life.

When police and rescue workers arrived at the Jomiba Learning Center at 1005 N. Krome Ave. shortly after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, they found the child’s body on the ground outside the van.

Dominicue’s uncle, Fabian Hall, said he got a call from a woman at the daycare about a half hour earlier asking if he had stopped by to pick up the toddler.

Hall said he hadn’t.

At that point, Hall said the woman, whose first name was Valerie, became hysterical and told him to come over to the center. (DCF’s most recent inspections listed the director as Valeria Palmer.)When Hall arrived at the center, the woman grabbed his arm and said “Papi…tell me he’s OK! Tell me he’s OK!’’

“I don’t know why she asked me that,’’ Hall said Wednesday. “Why did she ask me that if the kid was already dead?”

Dominicue’s teenaged parents were asking similar questions Wednesday.

Eli Lovo, 29, was at a nearby bank when he said he heard a scream, then someone yelling at the van’s driver, “How could you do this!”

In addition to police investigators, DCF also was looking into the case.

State investigators were looking at the van’s role and if the daycare provided proper and safe transportation.

“Because the child may have died in the van, we’re looking very closely at that as an issue,” said agency spokesperson Mark Riordan.

The driver was not named. The daycare has only one driver properly licensed to transport children, the owner, 24-year-old Misael Ramos.

Some of the issues DCF will review are:

Were the proper number of children were transported in the van? Did the van have proper children’s seats. Who was driving? Was that person properly licensed to transport children.

DCF also will look to see if the driver followed guidelines for picking up and dropping off children, including keeping a log of each child as he or she was picked up and then doing a sweep afterwards to ensure that everyone was out.

Dominicue’s aunt, Imanuela Marceus, said the center offered pickup service at no extra fee. The child lived with his mother, Porsha Andrews, 16, and his grandmother, Atila Bryant. The father, 17, lives in Miami.

Some of the center’s clients followed it from Florida City when it was called Bright Stars Learning Academy. It closed last year and the same principals opened a larger center in Homestead called Jomiba Learning Center, according to records. Misael Ramos’ father, Jose Ramos, owned Bright Stars. The Florida City center, which had been opened for about five years, had no major problems on record with the state or city, officials said. “If there would have been a problem in five years, the complaint from one of my staff people would be attached to the file,” said Bill Kiriloff, director of community development for Florida City.

On Wednesday, Jomiba was closed. Misael Ramos and Jose Ramos could not be reached for comment.

In its short history, Jomiba had one violation — not having notarized affidavits for all its staff attesting to good moral character.

DCF did check the van and the driver’s qualifications on its last visit, dated June 7. The inspection checklist shows that Jomiba was in compliance.

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/13/2313388/cops-checking-whether-dead-homestead.html#ixzz1S5mkI2PJ

18-month old Dominicue Andrews: Dies at Jomiba Learning Center in Homestead, FL
***18-month old Dominicue Andrews dies at daycare center***

Eli Lovo, 29 was at the Wells Fargo Bank Branch across the street when he heard a scream come from the daycare center. He looked over an immediately recognize both the daycare worker and the driver of the van. From observation, it appeared that the little boy had been moved, he said. “One of the daycare staff threw an empty bottle at the driver and shouted “How could you do this? How could you do this?’ said Lovo.....

http://brp305.wordpress.com/2011/07/13/18-month-old-dominicue-andrews-dies-at-jomiba-learning-center-in-homestead-fl/

Final Farewell Held For Boy Who Died In Homestead Daycare Case
July 23, 2011 6:23 PM

Family and friends gathered at the funeral service for the 22-month-old boy who was found dead at a Homestead daycare. (Source: CBS4)

HOMESTEAD (CBS4) – It was a final farewell Saturday for Dominque Andrews– the toddler who died at a day care center in Homestead....

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/07/23/final-farewell-held-for-boy-who-died-in-homestead-daycare-case/

I-Team: Owners Of Homestead Daycare Had 13 Serious Past Violations
July 14, 2011 9:39 PM

MIAMI (CBS4)- The CBS4 I-Team has learned that a daycare run by the same owners behind a Homestead daycare center where a young boy died had extensive problems complying with state rules.

Some of the violations were considered serious by DCF experts, according to CBS4 I-Team investigator Stephen Stock, who has been looking into the safety of children at daycares for three years. Stock he helped change the way the state of Florida tracks daycares....

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/07/14/i-team-owners-of-homestead-daycare-had-13-serious-past-violations/

Died In Homestead Daycare Case
July 14, 2011 10:19 PM

HOMESTEAD (CBS4) – Family, friends and members of the community gathered Thursday to honor a little boy who died while at a Homestead daycare....

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/07/14/mother-wants-answers-as-to-her-son-died-at-daycare/

Daycare Tragedy Spurs Expansion Of Safety Program
July 15, 2011 6:30 PM

MIAMI (CBSMiami.com) – The death of 22-month-old Dominicue Andrews has renewed calls for more safety procedures to prevent another tragedy like Dominciue’s. Because of the death, a program created in South Florida to help save children’s live has just been expanded....

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/07/15/daycare-tragedy-spurs-expansion-of-safety-program/

Community Gather At Vigil To Remember Toddler In Daycare Death
July 15, 2011 10:10 PM

HOMESTEAD (CBS4) – Family and friends gathered Friday for a second time to honor and remember a toddler who died while at a Homestead daycare facility.

A private vigil was held Friday night for 22-month-old Dominicue Andrews. Wearing white, surrounded by blue balloons, the family vowed not to stand by in silence....

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/07/15/community-mourns-boy-found-dead-at-homestead-daycare/

Sources: Multiple People May Be Charged In Daycare Death
July 21, 2011 6:27 PM

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (CBS4) – Sources tell CBS4′s Jim DeFede that prosecutors and police are looking at possible charges against a number of people in the death of a 22-month-old toddler last week at the Jomiba Learning Center.

That investigation is being complicated by conflicting statements from the uncle of the toddler. CBS4 has learned from sources that he is the only person to place the victim, Dominicue Andrews, inside the daycare center....

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/07/21/sources-multiple-people-may-be-charged-in-daycare-death/

Day Care Remains Closed After Death
Day Care Center Closed After Toddler Found Dead
POSTED: Wednesday, July 13, 2011
UPDATED: 12:55 pm EDT July 14, 2011

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- The state is making a push to suspend the license of a Homestead day care center where a 22-month-old boy was found dead Tuesday, at least until the investigation of his death is concluded.

http://www.local10.com/news/28538255/detail.html?hpt=ju_bn4

Video at link.


Vigil Held for Toddler Found Dead at Daycare

http://24wired.tv/16107/vigil-held-for-toddler-found-dead-at-daycare/

Homestead Day Care Van Driver Charged In Toddler’s Death

August 5, 2011 10:27 PM


Lelier Perez Hernandez was
charged with Aggravated Manslaughter of a child and tampering with
physical evidence in the death of a child of Jomiba Learning Center.



HOMESTEAD (CBS4) – Criminal charges have been filed against the
driver of a daycare van in connection with the death of a 22-month-old
toddler in Homestead, who was left inside the sweltering hot van.

Miami-Dade Police have charged Lelier Perez Hernandez, 23, with
Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child and Tampering with Physical Evidence.

Hernandez was the driver of the Jomiba Learning Center daycare van on July 12th, the day Dominicue Andrews died.

Dominicue Andrews, 22 months old, was
found dead at a daycare center in Homestead on July 12, 2011.


“He was in daycare two months, two months, and he hadn’t been on that
van but two weeks,” the boy’s grandmother Atila Bryant told CBS4′s Gio
Benitez when she heard of the arrest. “ I’m going to see to it that
justice is done for my grandbaby, and the charge that they’re giving
him, he needs more than that. And there’s more people behind what
happened to that baby.”

According to the arrest affidavit, Hernandez is responsible for
leaving Dominicue on the van all day long, while he remained strapped in
his car seat.

It all started at 7:30 a.m. when Hernandez picked up Dominicue. The
toddler was still sleeping and was buckled into a car seat for the ride
to the daycare center. Approximately 15 other children were also picked
up. Hernandez, police say, then had two opportunities to find Dominicue
on the van and failed both times.

The first took place when the kids first got off the van while parked
at the entrance of the daycare and the second was when he moved the van
from the front of the daycare to the parking lot. Neither time, police
say, did Hernandez check the van, as required, for any children who may
have been left behind.

Hours later, when Dominicue’s teacher realized the toddler was
missing, Hernandez checked the van and saw the boy still strapped into
his car seat, unresponsive and not moving. The affidavit states
Hernandez picked up Dominicue and placed his body on a concrete slab on
the east side of the school but didn’t tell anyone he had found the
child. Then, he simply joined the search that had been started by
daycare staff. Dominicue’s body was found a short time later but it was
too late.

Hernandez later admitted to police that he forgot the child was in
the van and did not properly check the van once the kids were off.

An autopsy determined Dominicue died from asphyxiation and the manner
of his death of accidental. Temperatures that day were in the 90s which
means it was much hotter inside the van.

The Jomiba Learning Center remains closed pending an investigation by DCF and Miami-Dade Police.

Attorneys for Andrews’ family have filed a wrongful death lawsuit
against the daycare, saying that the facility was negligent and failed
to protect the toddler. The lawsuit also claimed that workers were
improperly trained and supervised.

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/08/05/homestead-day-care-van-driver-charged-in-toddlers-death/