The Arizona Republic
July 29, 1998
|
By Dennis Wagner The FBI and Justice Department have launched a criminal investigation into the death of Nicholaus Contreraz, a 16-year-old ward of Arizona Boys Ranch who collapsed while being punished at an Oracle boot camp. "We're looking at it," special agent Jack Callahan, a spokesman for the FBI office in Phoenix, confirmed Tuesday. "We have an open investigation," added Christine DiBartolo at the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. DiBartolo said the investigation will focus on whether Contreraz's death stemmed from civil-rights violations by Boys Ranch or its employees. The Sacramento youth died of a lung infection March 2 after being misdiagnosed by medical staff. Witnesses said the boy was subjected to days of physical abuse and taunting by staffers before he succumbed. His death spawned a series of local and state inquiries, with the federal probe now added to that list. Bob Thomas, president of Boys Ranch, could not be reached for comment. DiBartolo would not say what prompted the Justice Department to step in. However, Contreraz's death has created a political storm in California, which is responsible for shipping more delinquents to Boys Ranch than all other states combined. The state's Department of Social Services, which has paid millions of dollars to finance California delinquents at Boys Ranch, has cut off all funding and issued a damning report that says Contreraz suffered "substantial abuse and neglect." The report alleges that Boys Ranch managers knew of the abuse yet did nothing to stop it. It also rips Arizona for failing to protect juveniles. Last week, California Rep. George Miller, R-Pleasant Hill, asked the state's attorney general to investigate. But his request was declined for lack of jurisdiction. California's Legislature and media have conducted weeks of soul-searching over a paradox: While state law bans military-style youth programs such as Boys Ranch, judges export hundreds of kids a year to similar programs outside the state. The funding shutdown has cost Boys Ranch up to two-thirds of its juvenile population and jeopardized the agency's financial future. Supporters and graduates of the program say Contreraz's death was an isolated incident in a program that transforms bad boys into good citizens. Dozens of them showed up this week for a demonstration at California's state capitol, where they waved signs and chanted to protest the funding cutoff. Charles Ratliff, a spokesman for the Pinal County Attorney's Office, said Justice Department officials have made no contact with local authorities. He added that county prosecutors intend to pursue a criminal case based on possible charges of abuse, neglect or homicide. Meanwhile, Boys Ranch's license to operate remains in limbo pending an investigation by the state Department of Economic Security. That probe is expected to wind up within a month. Agency spokesman Fernando Vender said neither the FBI nor the Justice Department investigators have made contact with DES investigators. Boys Ranch, a private, nonprofit corporation based in Queen Creek, worked with more than 400 severely delinquent youth at seven campuses before Contreraz's death. Thomas, the agency head, previously acknowledged that Contreraz was mistreated, fired several employees and closed the Oracle campus. He has denied that the conduct of staffers was condoned or allowed by policy. Dennis Wagner can be reached at 602.444.8874 or at [email protected]. Copyright 1998, The Arizona Republic
RadViews
� 1996-8 [email protected]
ICQ 1633847
|
