An 11-year-old girl fell from the seventh floor of a family homeless shelter in Colorado after her parents opened a window because their apartment was unbearably hot, according to a police report.
The girl’s father told detectives they had been playing and she had run towards the window, not realizing it was open due to the curtain that was in the way.
The child fell five floors onto an awning on the second floor of the Taramac Family Shelter, which is operated by the Salvation Army, in Denver, on July 7.
According to a police report, obtained by 9 News, she suffered “obvious fractures on both legs, as well as to her face and head.”
The report stated the family opened the sliding glass door the night before because of excessive heat. "They opened the window due to the unbearable heat and not being able to breathe," the parents had told police, per the report.
When a detective later visited he noted “the apartment was hot and the air conditioning was either not turned on or not functioning… [The detective] was in the room for about 10 minutes and was sweating by the time [he] exited the room.”
The same detective observed that all the rooms he visited on the top floor of the complex were hot and lacked good air circulation.
In addition, per the report, the family said they had requested air conditioning repairs on multiple occasions prior to the incident, as well as noting grim conditions in the apartment.
Part of a complaint from mid-June, reported “cockroaches, bed bugs and that the air conditioning is not working and the temperature passes 85 degrees indicating the room is humid.” It added that the family also had a two-year-old child in the apartment, who was unable to sleep at night due to the heat.
In a statement shared with The Independent, a spokesperson for the Denver Department of Housing Stability said the shelter’s HVAC system had been updated three months ago and further efforts to enhance ventilation and install tamper-proof window locks had been started in June.
“What happened to this family is a heartbreaking tragedy, and our deepest sympathies are with them. The city has already taken steps to ensure something like this never happens again,” the statement said.
The spokesperson said the Department review showed the family first reported AC issues in June, which were repaired, but the unit began malfunctioning again shortly after. While awaiting replacement parts, the spokesperson said the Salvation Army offered to move the family to another room but “that offer was respectfully declined.”
“In response to the tragedy, the city has strengthened oversight and support at the facility," a spokesman for the Department of Housing Stability added in its statement.
"The city reviewed The Salvation Army’s protocols and confirmed that weekly pest control and regular room checks are in place to address safety and maintenance concerns. Going forward, a city facilities staff member will accompany TSA during room checks to ensure prompt follow-up.
“We will continue reviewing and improving procedures to protect the health and safety of every resident and staff member in our shelters."
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