De Blasio Calls For Change In Procedures In Wake Of Myls Dobson Death
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- After the death of 4-year-old Myls Dobson – who had been under city supervision – Mayor Bill de Blasio has called for change.
As CBS 2's Dick Brennan reported, investigators said Myls was abused. In the wake of his death, the mayor now wants more cooperation between police and the Administration for Children's Services.
"We're going to form an inter-agency Children's Cabinet," said de Blasio.
The case has been deemed one of the worst in recent years, as authorities have said Myls was starved, beaten and tortured to death.
De Blasio Calls For Change In Procedures In Wake Of Myls Dobson Death
His father, Okee Wade, was arrested last month on bank fraud allegations – leaving Myls in the care of his father's girlfriend – Kryzie King, 27, who is now charged in the case.
As WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported, the preliminary investigation concludes the ACS did not explore allegations of domestic violence and was not even aware that the little boy's father was in jail.
"As a parent – and every parent in this city feels as I do – that it's very, very painful to know that this child went through such agony," de Blasio said.
King, 27, told police she had put the boy on the bathroom counter and left the room briefly. Police said King told them Dobson fell and landed in the empty bathtub in her Midtown apartment.
De Blasio Calls For Change In Procedures In Wake Of Myls Dobson Death
Prosecutors, however, said King tortured and starved Myls. They said King admitted to burning and beating Myls, as well as leaving him outside in the freezing cold.
King was arrested last week and is charged with first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment, endangering the welfare of a child and unlawful imprisonment. She was reportedly indicted Wednesday, but because the indictment will not be unsealed until Feb. 5, it's unknown what charges the grand jury voted for.
A preliminary report on the boy's death said Myls had been under supervision by the ACS for nearly two years. And in nine visits, case workers found the father wasn't home. They were told Wade was at work each time but never checked up on it, Lamb reported.
The case workers insisted it appeared the child was being well cared for.
"During the course of our involvement in this case, many, many visits were made," said Administration for Children's Services Commissioner Gladys Carrión, "And each of those visits, the child was found to be safe, to be healthy."
City personnel had last seen him in August, Lamb reported.
Myls' father was granted custody in 2012, when a court ruled that the boy's mother was not mentally capable.
The mayor said the ACS can make some improvements. He has ordered immediate steps for future cases -- including supervision at the end of court cases, thorough review of family support, and giving the ACS wider access to court databases.
"The message today is that child safety is everyone's responsibility. We're going to get that across in the coming weeks," Mayor de Blasio said. "Every single New Yorker – all 8.4 million of us – are in this together when it comes to protecting children."
Meanwhile, prosecutors said the charges against King could be upgraded depending on the New York City Medical Examiner's findings.
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