44-year-old Ineza McClinton drove her car into the Kalamazoo river on purpose. It was a tragic choice, with heartbreaking results. But what made it even worse, was the fact that her 9-year-old twin daughters, Angel and Faith, were in the car with her, unable to escape. Unlike their cousins, who had been dropped off at a local Walgreens a short time before that, and told to get out of the car.
By the time police found out, it was already too late to stop it.
The two cousins were hysterical and traumatized, and police were called to the Walgreens to try and make sense of their story. They said they’d been in their aunt’s car, and she’d forced them to get out of the vehicle. But it was the fact that she intended to drown herself and her daughters, which she’d made clear to her nieces, that was the most horrifying part of their tale. They tried to get help, but it all happened so fast…
How does something like this happen with no red flags?
Officers found McClinton’s body, and the body of one of her daughters the next morning, still inside their car in the river. The second daughter’s body was found later that day in the river. No one survived the drowning. But how could this have happened? Were there really no red flags or signs that this mother was struggling with major mental health issues and needed help? Did no one see how difficult the situation was for her?
This family has a history with CPS.
According to The Office of Children’s Ombudsman, CPS has a history of contact with the McClinton family, so they may have had an opportunity to see the red flags. Police say that McClinton’s criminal record had been clean for the last five years, but prior to that she had about a dozen arrests on file, most pertaining to retail fraud. But that’s all we know…
Was there something CPS could have done differently in this case?
As of now, The Office of Children’s Ombudsman has said that there is an open investigation into the role CPS played with the McClinton family. What contacts did the agency have with the family? What information did they have access to, and what did they do with it? What decisions did the agency make, and what services were offered to help McClinton? There are a lot of questions that need answering in this case…
CPS has a history of not handling situations correctly.
If there’s one thing we know about CPS it’s this – they frequently make the wrong call. Whether it’s leaving an at-risk child in a dangerous situation, or taking a safe child away from parent who would never harm them, the agency screws up a LOT! Thankfully, their record of mistakes is a long one, and very public. So if you’re being harassed by CPS, know that you’re not the only one. And we can help! Call 866 766 5245 today and let our skilled and experienced CPS defense attorneys help you to protect your family.