Mom Asked For Help Before Kids Froze To Death Outside Detroit Casino: Officials

DETROIT — Detroit officials are reviewing the city's homeless services after a Detroit mother reached out for help before two of her kids froze to death while sleeping in a van outside a Detroit casino Monday, officials said during a Tuesday news conference.

The mom reached out to the city's homeless services in November and told them she and her five kids had nowhere to live after a falling out with the family they had been living with, officials said.

During that conversation, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said "there was no resolution reached on where they would go."

Moreover, Duggan said neither the family nor the city followed up after that November call, and an outreach worker was never sent out to check on the family. He also said the family reached out for help at least two other previous times, dating back to the summer and the previous year.

"One of the things that’s important when you call our homeless services folks, is that if it’s an emergency situation, we send out one of these outreach workers," Duggan said. "For whatever reason, this wasn’t deemed an emergency that caused an outreach worker to visit the family."

Duggan asked Deputy Mayor Melia Howard and the city's housing department to lead an investigation to find out what went wrong.

While that report is due in two weeks, Duggan also wants the services' team to provide clear instructions and act more quickly when children are involved, with some cases requiring an immediate on-site visit.

"We have to make sure that we do everything possible to make sure that this doesn’t happen again," Duggan said.

Detroit Interim Police Chief Todd Bettison said he believes the family had been living in the van for two to three months, moving from casino to casino.

"From what I've been told, the mother had a lot of pride. She loved her kids and she wanted to keep the family together," Bettison said.

Officials believe the family pulled into the Hollywood Casino in Greektown around 1 a.m. Monday and parked on the ninth floor before it ran out of gas, leaving them without heat. Around noon, the mother noticed her 9-year-old son wasn't breathing, according to police.

A family member took the boy to a nearby hospital while the mother called 911, according to police.

The family then noticed the 2-year-old girl was also not breathing and she was taken to a nearby hospital as well, according to police.

Officials said both kids were pronounced dead at the hospital. They believe the kids died of hypothermia, though they were still waiting for exact results.

The three other children in the van, ages 11, 9 and 4, were also taken to a nearby hospital where they appeared to be OK, according to police.

The temperature in Detroit early Monday was in the low-teens.

Bettison said police are investigating the incident, but that doesn't mean anyone will be charged in connection with the incident. He said his department will turn over their findings to the Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who will then decide possible charges.

If a shelter is full, Duggan said a drop-in center will take an individual any time of the evening and never turn anybody away. Additionally, he said the city added 400 more shelter beds and 110 drop-in beds this winter.

Anyone in need of a shelter can reach out to the Detroit Housing Services Resource HelpLine at 866-313-2520 every day until 6 p.m. After those hours, officials said you should go to the nearest Detroit Police Department precinct.