Teen in Maryland DHS Custody Found Dead In Baltimore Hotel
A 16-year-old girl under the care of Maryland’s Department of Human Services (DHS) was found dead in a Baltimore hotel earlier this week, police confirmed.
Authorities said the teen, identified as Kanaiyah Ward, was discovered on Monday, Sept. 22, at a hotel in the 800 block of North Wolfe Street. Investigators have not yet determined her cause of death. While no signs of foul play or trauma were found, police are treating the case as “questionable.”
In a statement, DHS said it has launched its own investigation and promised accountability if its contractors are found to have failed in their responsibilities.
“The well-being of Maryland’s children is our top priority, and we will not rest until every child in our state is safe, thriving in a permanent home, and surrounded by loving family,” the agency said.
Ward’s death comes just days after a scathing audit revealed serious shortcomings in DHS and the Maryland Social Services Administration. The report found children in state custody were sometimes placed in hotels, housed near sex offenders, or left without basic medical care.
Maryland House Minority Leader Jason Buckel called Ward’s death “as tragic as it is outrageous.”
“Had this occurred a week ago, it would seem like a terrible but isolated incident. Coming on the heels of the DHS audit last week, we know this is not the case,” Buckel said. “This appears to be another horrific example of the failure of this department to keep children safe, this time with fatal consequences.”
DHS Secretary Rafael López responded to the audit, saying the agency has been working with urgency to address systemic problems. He pointed to recent progress in reducing the number of children placed in hotels, stressing that reforms are underway but will take time.
The investigation into Ward’s death remains ongoing.
Teen in Maryland DHS Custody Found Dead In Baltimore Hotel was originally published on wolbbaltimore.com
