New Page 2

Articles re death at Youth Ranch, Utah:

June 30, 2007 - Boy found dead at Draper group home

June 30, 2007 - 'Medical condition' blamed for death

July 18, 2007 - Youth's death is still under review

Youth's death is still under review

July 18, 2007

DRAPER — The Salt Lake district attorney will be asked to decide what, if any, charges should be filed in connection with the death of a 14-year-old boy at a youth treatment facility in Draper.

The Southern California boy, whose name was not released, was found dead at the Youth Care of Utah on June 28. He had been suffering from stomach and bowel problems and placed in a room separate from the others. In the morning, he was found dead on his mattress.

Draper Police Sgt. Gerry Allred said Monday an autopsy had been completed, but he did not want to comment on it until all factors were looked at.

"We're looking at it really hard to make sure we're not missing anything," he said.

Allred said the case was suspicious only because a teenager in the care of adults died.

"We want to make sure no negligence was involved," he said.

In a statement released by the Youth Care & Pine Ridge Academy shortly after the death, they declared the boy died of a "medical condition."

'Medical condition' blamed for death

June 30, 2007

A Southern California boy who died at a group home in Draper had a "medical condition," the group home's director said Friday.

The 14-year-old boy awoke early Thursday complaining of stomach and bowel problems, was placed in a separate room from other children and was found dead the next morning, said Carol Sisco, spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Human Services.

"We are interviewing everyone involved who was in the unit at the time," Draper Police Sgt. Gerald Allred said.

Allred and other police officials were unavailable Friday to comment on whether an autopsy had revealed a cause of death for the boy, who entered the group home in February. His name was not released.

The boy died of a "medical condition," Trina Packard, executive director of the Youth Care & Pine Ridge Academy, said in a statement issued Friday. Packard didn't specify the medical condition or say why she was certain he died of it, and she didn't return a message left by The Associated Press.

The group home is operated by Cerritos, Calif.-based Aspen Education Group, a division of CRC Health Group that runs boarding schools, outdoor education programs, weight-loss camps and "weight- loss residential high schools," according to its Web site.

Boy found dead at Draper group home

June 30, 2007

SALT LAKE CITY -- A southern California boy died at a group home in Draper, apparently in his sleep.

The 14-year-old boy awoke early Thursday complaining of stomach and bowel problems, was placed in a separate room from other kids and found dead the next morning, said Carol Sisco, spokeswoman for Utah Department of Human Services.

"We are interviewing everyone involved who was in the unit at the time," Draper police Sgt. Gerald Allred said.

The boy died of a "medical condition," Trina Packard, executive director of the Youth Care & Pine Ridge Academy, said in a statement issued Friday. Packard didn't specify the medical condition or say why she was certain he died of it, and she didn't return a message left by The Associated Press.

"We are extremely saddened" by the boy's death, she said, pledging to cooperate with authorities. "We are providing therapeutic services to the boy's family, as well as counseling services for our own staff and students."

The state division that licenses the group home will inspect the facility after police are finished, Sisco said.

Among things inspectors will look at is whether the group home had adequate staff on duty, she said.

The group home is operated by Cerritos, Calif-based Aspen Education Group, a division of CRC Health Group that runs boarding schools, outdoor education programs, weight-loss camps and "weight-loss residential high schools," according to its Web site.

Corporate officials didn't return telephone and e-mail messages left Friday by the AP.

"It sounds like he woke in the night and was having diarrhea and vomiting," Sisco said. "They took him into a separate room, and within a few minutes he went asleep. They checked on him a couple of times, but he was dead by the morning."

The group home takes troubled children 11 to 17 years old sent voluntarily by their parents, Sisco said.

It does not take any court-assigned children, she said.

"The program notified us (of the death) within 24 hours as they are required to do. We'll be looking at reports from the program, law enforcement, the medical examiner and then going out and checking the program physically to see if there is anything they could have done differently," Sisco said.

Isabelle Zehnder