BIRCH HOLLOW, East Deschire -- Calls for investigation and reform are coming from all corners of East Deschire's political community after a 12-year-old boy died at a home for troubled adolescents.
David Arguyle was under court-ordered custody at the Trumbull Boys Home in Birch Hollow last week when he went into a severe seizure episode during a confrontation with the home's staff.
He was taken by ambulance to Benevolence Hospital in Hansboro but died a few hours later.
It's unclear exactly what caused his death, doctors said.
The Selkford County Coroner will perform an autopsy later this week, since the boy died at the hospital located in Selkford County.
Meanwhile, police in neighboring Begoran County are investigating the incident.
They'll wait on the autopsy report before making a decision about charging any of the boys' home's staff, Begoran County Sheriff Dave Eisen said.
Records obtained from the state's Department of Children Services through a Freedom of Information request show the Trumbull Boys Home had major violations at its last two evaluations by state regulators.
On at least three separate occasions, Arguyle told a case worker the home's nursing staff did not give him medication prescribed for his epilepsy. Investigators determined in two of those incidents the nurse should have given him the medication.
Arguyle was also sedated multiple times by the home's behavioral staff, those incidents are also under review.
East Deschire Governor Val Hennemott called Arguyle's death "incredibly tragic," but cautioned that it's too early to know exactly what happened.
However, "the fact that this particular institution had two major violations and was allowed to continue operations with limited supervision from state regulators is inexcusable," she said.
"I won't comment on the specific incident that resulted in David's death, but I will say it appears this facility had other violations and had run-ins with him in the past that should have raised major red flags with the DCS," Hennemott said at a press conference.
She offered her condolences for Arguyle's family.
Arguyle's father is deceased and his mother is serving time in a prison in Marchenay.
But a family friend told the National Press Federation (NPF) that Heather Mollon, Arguyle's mother, is devastated.
"She wants justice for David and for the people who caused his death," the friend said about Mollon.
Leslie Hawkin, Director of the DCS, expressed grief and regret at a press conference and promised a thorough investigation.
"We take the job of protecting our children very seriously at the Department of Children Services, and David's death has profoundly impacted me and everyone that works in our agency. We are so very saddened by his death, we want answers, and we will get those answers. If there were mistakes made we will correct those mistakes and fix the system so a tragedy like this never happens again," said Hawkin.
Lincoln Behavioral Centers Corporation, the company that runs the Trumbull Boys Home, also expressed condolences in a written statement.
"Our sincerest condolences go out to the family of David Arguyle. We are cooperating fully with state investigators, we are conducting our own internal investigation to insure all procedures and protocols were followed properly."
"Our mission has always been to protect and help the children who come to our facilities, and we have always done and will always do everything possible to make sure every child is safe in our care."
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