An eleven-year-old girl fell from the seventh floor of the city’s Tamarac hotel shelter earlier this month, leading to an investigation that uncovered disturbing conditions within the facility.
The girl, who has not been publicly identified, sustained serious injuries including a broken femur after plummeting nearly five floors when she fell through a sliding glass door that lacked proper safety railings.
The family had moved into the shelter in East Denver last year and had been dealing with complaints of unbearably high temperatures, broken air conditioning, and pest infestations for weeks.
Derek Woodbury, a spokesman from Denver’s Department of Housing Stability, expressed condolences for the family’s situation, stating, “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 incident took place on July 6 when the girl’s parents opened the sliding door to alleviate the oppressive heat inside their shelter room, with temperatures reportedly reaching 85 degrees at night.
Due to prior renovations, the sliding door opened onto a small, unprotected platform without railings, a situation that had arisen because the previous owner removed them prior to the city purchasing the hotel.
City workers had attempted to secure the doors using epoxy and screws, but residents had managed to bypass these measures.
A police officer investigating the case found that the door’s bolt could be manipulated with a broom handle, allowing it to be opened easily.
That evening, although curtains were closed, the sliding door remained open.
The next day, in a moment of playfulness, the girl ran towards the open door, unaware of the significant danger, and fell through it.
Emergency services responded, and the girl was moved quickly to await paramedics after suffering “obvious fractures on both legs” as well as facial and head injuries.
The girl’s parents, visibly distraught, were interviewed later at Children’s Hospital but will not face any criminal charges.
In the aftermath of the incident, the city implemented tamper-proof locks on all hotel room sliding doors that can safely open for airflow while preventing further accidents.
Additionally, a city staff member will now accompany The Salvation Army staff on weekly safety checks of the rooms to ensure compliance and safety measures are upheld.
This tragic incident occurred within a shelter that houses over 200 families, many of whom are immigrants.
The girl’s family had moved into the shelter on April 28 and reported issues like broken air conditioning and pest problems on June 11.
Records indicate the family sought assistance regarding these issues as early as June 13.
Reports indicate that the shelter’s temperatures were unbearable, particularly affecting the family’s two-month-old baby, making it difficult for the child to sleep.
Despite attempts to address the HVAC issues, problems persisted, with city officials acknowledging that the hotel’s heating and cooling system had been rebuilt in April but ongoing complications remained with individual room units.
It was not just this family that suffered; multiple residents on the seventh floor reported experiencing similar extreme temperatures and maintenance troubles, including pest infestations that contributed to a rough living environment.
Officers investigating the matter noted that many residents had expressed concern about the sliding doors, with some having taken measures to barricade them out of fear for their children’s safety.
Some residents had made repeated requests for repairs, including securing the sliding doors, leading to ongoing frustration within the community.
City representatives note that The Salvation Army staff conduct weekly checks of the shelter yet do not document these inspections unless a violation is identified.
Notably, the organization also lacks a digital management system for tracking maintenance requests, relying instead on phone calls and messages, complicating communication channels.
A source involved in the police investigation stated that creeping frustrations over these living conditions had reached many in the shelter.
Additionally, while it was reported that the family initially declined an offer to move to another room on July 1 due to heat and pest issues, the specific reasons for their refusal remain unclear.
At the same time, shelter staff reported these ongoing challenges to city officials, consistently seeking to get the windows and doors secured as an added precaution.
City workers, while attempting to enact more robust security measures, had not reached the family’s room prior to the girl’s fall, despite being alerted to the existing dangers.
The backlog of requests and the issues surrounding the shelter’s conditions have caused breakdowns in communication between city officials and The Salvation Army, leading to growing concern about the safety of the residents.
In light of this incident, the family has since been moved to another shelter by city officials, who continue to grapple with the ramifications of this tragedy and the broader systemic issues that have been highlighted.
The fall and its aftermath have spurred calls for improvements to living conditions in shelters across the city, emphasizing the need for immediate action to prevent future tragedies.
image source from：denverite
