2023

CHILD WELFARE / DSS INVOLVEMENT (2023)

07/14/23

DSS received a report concerning Jane Doe and her daughter. A deputy from the Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to Jane Doe’s apartment after neighbors reported hearing the mother screaming and yelling at the child. The reporting party stated that Jane Doe was heard yelling, “I wish you were never born.”

The deputy reported that Jane Doe did not answer the door.

Later that afternoon, representatives from DSS and FSS made an unannounced visit to the apartment; no one answered the door. DSS and FSS then went to the apartment complex office to confirm the tenant information but were informed that the property manager would not be available until 07/18/23.

07/18/23

FSS contacted the apartment complex manager and confirmed that the tenants of the apartment were Jane Doe and her daughter.

07/20/23

FSS and an investigator from the Sheriff’s Office made contact with Jane Doe and her daughter at the apartment. Jane Doe was described as short and abrupt in her responses. She was wearing headphones and stated that she was hard of hearing due to a prior injury. 

The living room was visible from the doorway and appeared to have minimal furnishings.

FSS informed Jane Doe that the agency had received a report regarding screaming and yelling coming from the apartment and that concerns had been raised about the child’s welfare. Jane Doe stated that she had been yelling at a medical transportation provider over the phone after a last-minute cancellation, as she needed transportation for her daughter’s medical appointment. She reported that she “lost it” while speaking to the company.

Jane Doe was observed to speak very rapidly, shift topics frequently, and demonstrate difficulty maintaining focus, making it challenging to follow her narrative.

Jane Doe requested that FSS and the investigator return later in the day, stating that she goes to bed early and that her daughter had schoolwork to complete. Jane Doe then closed the door.

FSS observed that Jane Doe’s daughter appeared small for her reported age of six years. The child did not speak, avoided eye contact, and repeatedly looked down at the floor.

08/02/23

The investigator reviewed a call in which Jane Doe contacted the Sheriff’s Department in a distressed state, reporting that she lacked transportation to obtain groceries for her daughter. A master deputy contacted the on-call DSS worker and advised that a worker would follow up the next morning. In the interim, the deputy transported Jane Doe and her daughter to Walmart and assisted them in obtaining groceries. 

08/03/23

FSS and the investigator conducted another unannounced visit to the apartment; no one answered the door. The investigator contacted Jane Doe by phone. Jane Doe stated abruptly that she was driving in the rain and could not talk, indicated she would need to contact the Sheriff’s Department to schedule a time to meet, and ended the call.

It was later determined that Jane Doe and her daughter were with a representative from a domestic violence shelter (DVS) at the bank. FSS and the investigator waited at the apartment until they returned. Upon arrival, Jane Doe, her daughter, and the DVS worker allowed FSS and the investigator to enter the apartment.

After leaving the residence, the investigator contacted the DVS worker, who reported that Jane Doe’s daughter became anxious and was showing symptoms of a panic attack. The DVS worker reported that Jane Doe declined the offer to take her and her daughter to the hospital. Jane Doe reported her daughter had been upset earlier due to not wanting to leave the house and that Jane Doe administered Motrin to the child in an effort to calm her.

08/08/23

FSS and the investigator conducted another unannounced visit to the apartment. Jane Doe opened the door abruptly and appeared hostile. She refused to allow FSS and the investigator to enter the residence and instructed them to call prior to any future visits. Jane Doe used her cell phone to take a photograph of herself with FSS and the investigator, stating she wanted documentation of the visit. Jane Doe requested that they leave, stating she was scheduled to meet with the DVS worker to obtain groceries.

08/09/23

The DVS worker expressed significant concern for the child, stating that the child rarely speaks, does not smile, and frequently appears excessively tired.

FSS and a supervisor staffed the case. Based on the totality of concerns, a decision was made for DSS to assume emergency custody of Jane Doe’s daughter.

No reasonable efforts to prevent removal were deemed to have been made.

Do you think this is illegal in Virginia?

- Jane Doe was observed to display...

- Paranoid behaviors

- Spoke Rapidly

- Indicating concerns that her computer was recording her and that her phone was listening to her.

- Jane Doe did not allow FSS or the investigator to enter the apartment.

- Jane Doe’s daughter was

- extremely fatigued

- repeatedly falling asleep while seated at the kitchen counter

- struggling to keep her eyes open