Justin Bulley had been within the custody of Los Angeles County’s little one welfare system, however throughout an authorized go to together with his mother, the toddler one way or the other got here into contact with the county’s most threatening drug.
Inside hours, the 1-year-old was useless.
The trigger: A deadly dose of fentanyl — the artificial opioid 50 instances stronger than heroin — was discovered within the toddler’s bloodstream.
“They robbed me,” stated Montise Bulley, Justin’s father. He and the toddler’s mom have been estranged, he stated, however when she misplaced custody of Justin to the Los Angeles County’s Division of Kids and Household Providers, so did he. On the time of the boy’s dying, he had been preventing to achieve full custody of his son, he stated.
Bulley, a truck driver, stated at a information convention Wednesday he was nonetheless in shock over Justin’s dying in February.
“I simply miss my boy,” Bulley, 51, stated. “I cry each day nearly.”
He blames the Division of Kids and Household Providers for failing to guard his son.
Brian Claypool, an lawyer representing Bulley and two of Justin’s siblings, filed a discover of claims this week with L.A. County for damages of $65 million, with an intent to file a wrongful-death lawsuit towards the Division of Kids and Household Providers.
“How on the planet did this occur?” Claypool stated. “There’s one reply: as a result of we’ve a pathetic L.A. County Division of Kids and Household Providers in Lancaster. It’s completely horrific.”
Claypool referred to as Justin’s dying the newest in a string of tragedies during which kids within the Antelope Valley have died on the division’s watch. Regardless of a number of tragic instances, which sparked investigations and management modifications, Claypool stated Justin’s dying reveals that wanted modifications on the nation’s largest little one welfare system nonetheless haven’t occurred.
“What occurred that day shouldn’t have occurred,” Claypool stated. “They toss underserved youngsters below the bus.”
Claypool additionally represents the relations of Noah Cuatro, the Palmdale 4-year-old whose dad and mom tortured and killed him in 2019, and 10-year-old Anthony Avalos, who died after enduring torture and extended abuse at his Lancaster house, regardless of many warnings to DCFS.
However the lawyer referred to as Justin’s dying “the worst case of malfeasance I’ve ever seen in my total lifetime.”
The Los Angeles County medical expert discovered this month that Justin’s Feb. 18 dying was attributable to the “results of fentanyl,” ruling it an unintended dying. The toddler died on the Antelope Valley Medical Middle in Lancaster, the place he was taken after household discovered him unconscious at his mom’s home and referred to as 911, in keeping with the post-mortem report.
Paramedics who responded to the house tried to make use of naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug, on the kid, the report stated.
In line with the medical expert’s investigation, his mom advised officers she had been consuming alcohol whereas Justin and his two siblings, ages 3 and 5, have been visiting the house, and their grandfather had been smoking fentanyl. The report famous there have been “a number of variations as to what occurred on the scene,” however the grandfather advised officers that the kid had an “interplay with fentanyl sooner or later,” the report stated.
The post-mortem discovered no different trauma. The toxicology report discovered Justin had 25 nanograms per milliliter in his blood. A Delaware medical expert’s report famous that simply 4 nanograms per milliliter could cause an overdose dying in an in any other case wholesome particular person.
Deputies who later searched the house discovered “glass pipes, baggies with unknown substances and different drug paraphernalia,” together with some in “areas reachable by the youngsters,” in keeping with the medical expert’s report.
No arrests have been made in Justin’s dying, however the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Division continues to analyze the case, in keeping with Lt. Michael Gomez, who leads the company’s murder division. Gomez stated detectives have been working with the district lawyer’s workplace to make a forthcoming willpower on whether or not expenses could be filed.
In Claypool’s discover of damages, he alleged {that a} DCFS employee had been on the house supervising the go to the day of Justin’s dying however that the staffer fled the scene when the toddler was discovered unconscious. The doc — filed with the county Board of Supervisors, a required first step earlier than a civil go well with — claims that Justin’s siblings additionally had ingested fentanyl.
In line with Lt. Gomez, the opposite kids within the house on the time of Justin’s dying have been examined for fentanyl by the DCFS, however he declined to share these outcomes. He stated he was unaware of a DCFS employee being on the house the day of Justin’s dying however stated that might be a part of the investigation if it occurred.
Shiara Davila-Morales, a spokesperson for L.A. County’s DCFS, declined to remark or reply to any allegations within the case, citing the pending litigation. The Instances was unable to succeed in Justin’s mom, Jessica Darthard, for remark.
As Bulley spoke Wednesday concerning the forthcoming lawsuit, he held up a photograph of himself together with his son and kissed the picture of the kid’s face.
“I don’t care concerning the cash, I would like my son,” Bulley stated.
Claypool maintains that Justin and his siblings shouldn’t have been allowed to go to their mom, given her previous, which incorporates convictions for drunk driving and little one endangerment in 2023, in keeping with courtroom data. He additionally cited the grandfather’s prison historical past, which incorporates drug-related arrests.
“For years, the Los Angeles County Division of Kids and Household Providers was conscious of the hazard the youngsters have been in and allowed their mom and grandfather continued entry,” Claypool wrote within the damages discover.
“There have been huge pink flags on this case,” Claypool stated. “On this matter, DCFS performed Russian roulette with the lives of Justin” and his siblings.
