Two child homicides in Cleveland Park/Van Ness apartment buildings in eight days

[Anonymous]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/maryland-toddler-killed-in-dc-had-short-meaningful-life-family-says/ar-AA1rxK6z

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-fund-journee-moores-funeral

Horrifying.

[Anonymous]

https://mattfruminward3.com/statement-in-response-to-the-death-of-a-child-in-ward-3/

A lot of kids have died in DC and elsewhere even after being on CPS radar, as DeAndre and his sisters were at one time. These agencies need ROBUST OVERSIGHT.

[Anonymous]

Why is the ME allowed to be so out of date with data? 3 years! After the office being unaccredited for years, does not instill confidence. The ME finding was key to release of DeAndre Pettus. How qualified is the current examiner?

https://ocme.dc.gov/publication/government-district-columbia-office-chief-medical-examiner-2021-annual-report

The findings re: Journee were clear but no arrests

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://thedcline.org/2021/12/21/children-at-risk-32-years-and-billions-of-dollars-later-dc-fails-to-protect-thousands-from-abuse-and-neglect/

This is the most horrifying article I’ve ever read. There’s so much to unpack and it’s sickening.

Thanks for sharing

[Anonymous]

From: https://thedcline.org/2021/12/21/children-at-risk-32-years-and-billions-of-dollars-later-dc-fails-to-protect-thousands-from-abuse-and-neglect/

A little after 11 p.m. on Dec. 22, 2020, a call went from an apartment at 517 Harvard St. NW to the CFSA hotline . . . it was revealed that her 2-year-old daughter had been missing for several days, ever since a severe incident of domestic violence occurred between the child’s mother and father, Maurice Meniefield. As police began looking for Meniefield, they visited the residence of his sister Quanice in Northeast DC. When they arrived, she was just getting home. She tried to prevent the police from gaining access. When they entered, they discovered her three children were alone hiding in a bedroom with all the lights off.

The missing 2-year-old girl, L.D., was under a bed. When she crawled out, an officer removed the child’s face mask and found that “blood was coming out of her mouth.” Tears were streaming down her face. The MPD officer requested an ambulance.

On the ride to the hospital, the little girl kept touching her face and her stomach. The officer asked her if it hurt; she nodded yes. He asked her if she had eaten anything that day. “She shook her head, ‘No,’” according to court documents.

Meniefield lived in the Harvard Street apartment with Davis and her children, according to court records. On the fateful day, he had been alone with the child. He became angry because L.D. urinated in the bed. “He forcefully punched [her] with his fist numerous times in the face, head and body. He also kicked her in the chest repeatedly and threw [her] against the bedroom walls several times, causing the child’s blood to splatter on the wall. [He] then cut the electrical cord from a television and used it to whip [her].”

When Davis returned home, Meniefield pushed her from the front door to the back door and then threw a frying pan, hitting her in the head. She went to Howard University Hospital for treatment. Upon her return, he again assaulted Davis, who went back to the hospital. Meniefield ordered the children to walk with him to the hospital. He was carrying L.D. and punched her in the face during the walk. After leaving the other children at the hospital, he called his sister and told her he was bringing L.D. to her home, which is where police found the child.

Once L.D. arrived at the hospital by ambulance, doctors found she needed immediate surgery to repair her jaw. She had a “complete fracture through the right side of her jaw, and multiple fractures of the left side of her jaw.” Further, she was diagnosed with contusions to her right kidney and “extensive bruising to the underlying muscles of her abdomen.” She also had five rib fractures — one new and four older, healing fractures, according to court documents

Meniefield was initially charged with first-degree cruelty to children. However, as a result of a plea agreement reached on Sept. 27 with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the charge was reduced to aggravated assault, which has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or a $25,000 fine. He also pleaded guilty to the assault of Davis, which carries a maximum penalty of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office agreed to a sentence of “supervised release of not less than three years.” It also stated that prosecutors “will not seek indictment on any remaining or greater charges arising from the facts in this case.

USAO saw fit to grant this monster, Maurice Meniefield, who tortured, terrorized, and all but killed a two year old girl, supervised-f%^ing-release?

How many more innocent kids in DC need to be slaughtered at the alter of USAO prosecution stats?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That would be a separate thread, PP, there are many about vouchers in this sub to join or start a new one.

The death of these 2 young kids, one of whom was a MD resident is not a housing or building issue. A roof did not fall on them, they were killed by violent adults.

After five years of this please forgive us for not following proper chat board etiquette. We’re tired.

I live in the neighborhood and am well familiar. But 2 kids are DEAD. One lived in MD. No one held in either case. Nothing to do with housing. This thread is about Journee and DeAndre and how authorities failed to protect them and have failed to hold killers accountable.

Stop derailing. Were not killed by stranger voucher holders. DeAndre had been monitored by CFS.

I live in the neighborhood too. We’re sick of all this. There need to be changes, neighbor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chen supporting one made no difference, I did not vote for Frumin but this is so far beyond him. Cheh’s comments outside Days Inn did likely bump her from office. Predates him by at least a decade+. Chen even got social workers put in Sedgwick Gardens for a time, voucher tenants did not engage. Without the threat of losing the voucher, no effective curbs on behavior. Public housing you can be kicked out and banned. With vouchers, crime, you get moved from Sedgwick Gardens to Brandywine. Do not pay your share, move from Brandywine to Saratoga or Connecticut House.

Truth

But Frump owns it now. He has been negligent or worse on this issue, and it's the vulnerable poor children in these families who are suffering the most

It's not about how the rent is paid but about how children are not protected from known to be violent men. Had they lived in public housing in SE, poor DeAndre would be just as dead.

Frumin is on the housing committee. Still, press him to address CPS laxity and to push USAO to protect women and kids from violent men.

If the children were homeless or in public housing still would not help them. I get that you hate Frumin and I'm not a fan, but your focus on housing is not going to help kids like DeAndre.

Violent men do not need "services" that they are not even required to participate in. They need to be REMOVED FROM THE COMMUNITY.

I wonder about this. One of the consequences of “equity” and sending voucher recipients to Ward 3 is that communities are broken up. Maybe if these kids were in Anacostia the neighborhood church ladies would have looked out for them. Or the school more attuned to signs of abuse and less scared of being labeled “Karens.” Or even relatives around to check in.

This is despicable derailing nonsense. Plenty of toddlers and children are being terrorized across DC and anyone with half a brain can come up with two dozen reasons why “sending voucher recipients to Ward 3” would actually help the respective families get the services (including MPD attention) they need to find a way out of their horror. But on balance, vouchers had nothing to do with this. Stop exploiting the deaths of two children to advocate for push your own pet policy preferences, which seem to almost exclusively serve the goal of keeping all the dysfunction in DC sequestered in EOTR neighborhoods.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chen supporting one made no difference, I did not vote for Frumin but this is so far beyond him. Cheh’s comments outside Days Inn did likely bump her from office. Predates him by at least a decade+. Chen even got social workers put in Sedgwick Gardens for a time, voucher tenants did not engage. Without the threat of losing the voucher, no effective curbs on behavior. Public housing you can be kicked out and banned. With vouchers, crime, you get moved from Sedgwick Gardens to Brandywine. Do not pay your share, move from Brandywine to Saratoga or Connecticut House.

Truth

But Frump owns it now. He has been negligent or worse on this issue, and it's the vulnerable poor children in these families who are suffering the most

It's not about how the rent is paid but about how children are not protected from known to be violent men. Had they lived in public housing in SE, poor DeAndre would be just as dead.

Frumin is on the housing committee. Still, press him to address CPS laxity and to push USAO to protect women and kids from violent men.

If the children were homeless or in public housing still would not help them. I get that you hate Frumin and I'm not a fan, but your focus on housing is not going to help kids like DeAndre.

Violent men do not need "services" that they are not even required to participate in. They need to be REMOVED FROM THE COMMUNITY.

I wonder about this. One of the consequences of “equity” and sending voucher recipients to Ward 3 is that communities are broken up. Maybe if these kids were in Anacostia the neighborhood church ladies would have looked out for them. Or the school more attuned to signs of abuse and less scared of being labeled “Karens.” Or even relatives around to check in.

This is despicable derailing nonsense. Plenty of toddlers and children are being terrorized across DC and anyone with half a brain can come up with two dozen reasons why “sending voucher recipients to Ward 3” would actually help the respective families get the services (including MPD attention) they need to find a way out of their horror. But on balance, vouchers had nothing to do with this. Stop exploiting the deaths of two children to advocate for push your own pet policy preferences, which seem to almost exclusively serve the goal of keeping all the dysfunction in DC sequestered in EOTR neighborhoods.

Vouchers have everything to do with the blight and crime that have be fallen the Connecticut Ave corridor. It’s you who are using the death of these poor kids to stifle an uncomfortable conversation. The city has had years to fix this. Time is up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chen supporting one made no difference, I did not vote for Frumin but this is so far beyond him. Cheh’s comments outside Days Inn did likely bump her from office. Predates him by at least a decade+. Chen even got social workers put in Sedgwick Gardens for a time, voucher tenants did not engage. Without the threat of losing the voucher, no effective curbs on behavior. Public housing you can be kicked out and banned. With vouchers, crime, you get moved from Sedgwick Gardens to Brandywine. Do not pay your share, move from Brandywine to Saratoga or Connecticut House.

Truth

But Frump owns it now. He has been negligent or worse on this issue, and it's the vulnerable poor children in these families who are suffering the most

It's not about how the rent is paid but about how children are not protected from known to be violent men. Had they lived in public housing in SE, poor DeAndre would be just as dead.

Frumin is on the housing committee. Still, press him to address CPS laxity and to push USAO to protect women and kids from violent men.

If the children were homeless or in public housing still would not help them. I get that you hate Frumin and I'm not a fan, but your focus on housing is not going to help kids like DeAndre.

Violent men do not need "services" that they are not even required to participate in. They need to be REMOVED FROM THE COMMUNITY.

I wonder about this. One of the consequences of “equity” and sending voucher recipients to Ward 3 is that communities are broken up. Maybe if these kids were in Anacostia the neighborhood church ladies would have looked out for them. Or the school more attuned to signs of abuse and less scared of being labeled “Karens.” Or even relatives around to check in.

This is despicable derailing nonsense. Plenty of toddlers and children are being terrorized across DC and anyone with half a brain can come up with two dozen reasons why “sending voucher recipients to Ward 3” would actually help the respective families get the services (including MPD attention) they need to find a way out of their horror. But on balance, vouchers had nothing to do with this. Stop exploiting the deaths of two children to advocate for push your own pet policy preferences, which seem to almost exclusively serve the goal of keeping all the dysfunction in DC sequestered in EOTR neighborhoods.

Vouchers have everything to do with the blight and crime that have be fallen the Connecticut Ave corridor. It’s you who are using the death of these poor kids to stifle an uncomfortable conversation. The city has had years to fix this. Time is up.

So you are solely focused on what impacts you and not failures by USAO and CFS that have directly led to the brutal deaths of many kids in DC? Your priority is to highjack focus on dead kids to focus on where they were when killed? Journee was a MD resident. If they died elsewhere, no prob?

There have been dozens of threads on here about vouchers, even more community meetings and hearings. Stifled?

Their deaths were not due to housing. Letting USAO and CFS skate, stifling THAT life and death discussion because you think it will never impact you, when these kids are barely cold is something.

I was also surprised 911 answered promptly and sent help to the correct address, not a given, and hasn’t been for many years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chen supporting one made no difference, I did not vote for Frumin but this is so far beyond him. Cheh’s comments outside Days Inn did likely bump her from office. Predates him by at least a decade+. Chen even got social workers put in Sedgwick Gardens for a time, voucher tenants did not engage. Without the threat of losing the voucher, no effective curbs on behavior. Public housing you can be kicked out and banned. With vouchers, crime, you get moved from Sedgwick Gardens to Brandywine. Do not pay your share, move from Brandywine to Saratoga or Connecticut House.

Truth

But Frump owns it now. He has been negligent or worse on this issue, and it's the vulnerable poor children in these families who are suffering the most

It's not about how the rent is paid but about how children are not protected from known to be violent men. Had they lived in public housing in SE, poor DeAndre would be just as dead.

Frumin is on the housing committee. Still, press him to address CPS laxity and to push USAO to protect women and kids from violent men.

If the children were homeless or in public housing still would not help them. I get that you hate Frumin and I'm not a fan, but your focus on housing is not going to help kids like DeAndre.

Violent men do not need "services" that they are not even required to participate in. They need to be REMOVED FROM THE COMMUNITY.

I wonder about this. One of the consequences of “equity” and sending voucher recipients to Ward 3 is that communities are broken up. Maybe if these kids were in Anacostia the neighborhood church ladies would have looked out for them. Or the school more attuned to signs of abuse and less scared of being labeled “Karens.” Or even relatives around to check in.

This is despicable derailing nonsense. Plenty of toddlers and children are being terrorized across DC and anyone with half a brain can come up with two dozen reasons why “sending voucher recipients to Ward 3” would actually help the respective families get the services (including MPD attention) they need to find a way out of their horror. But on balance, vouchers had nothing to do with this. Stop exploiting the deaths of two children to advocate for push your own pet policy preferences, which seem to almost exclusively serve the goal of keeping all the dysfunction in DC sequestered in EOTR neighborhoods.

Vouchers have everything to do with the blight and crime that have be fallen the Connecticut Ave corridor. It’s you who are using the death of these poor kids to stifle an uncomfortable conversation. The city has had years to fix this. Time is up.

So you are solely focused on what impacts you and not failures by USAO and CFS that have directly led to the brutal deaths of many kids in DC? Your priority is to highjack focus on dead kids to focus on where they were when killed? Journee was a MD resident. If they died elsewhere, no prob?

There have been dozens of threads on here about vouchers, even more community meetings and hearings. Stifled?

Their deaths were not due to housing. Letting USAO and CFS skate, stifling THAT life and death discussion because you think it will never impact you, when these kids are barely cold is something.

I was also surprised 911 answered promptly and sent help to the correct address, not a given, and hasn’t been for many years.

Well I’ll play your game.

Dad applies for voucher.
Dad gets denied voucher.
Dad cannot house his children.
CPS takes children away and puts into foster care.
Dad does not murder his child.


It’s actually quite easy to see how the voucher plays in here.

We can agree to disagree on whether vouchers are appropriate in well established buildings where families and elderly live. For the record, I don’t think they are. Mixing violent criminals with children and elderly is never a good idea.

And we both agree that the DC child welfare system is wholly inadequate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://thedcline.org/2021/12/21/children-at-risk-32-years-and-billions-of-dollars-later-dc-fails-to-protect-thousands-from-abuse-and-neglect/

This is the most horrifying article I’ve ever read. There’s so much to unpack and it’s sickening.

Thanks for sharing

Until quite recently, DC CFS was under federal court oversight.

https://thedcline.org/2021/06/01/press-release-mayor-bowser-announces-the-end-of-court-oversight-of-the-dc-child-and-family-services-agency/

“This exit from court oversight recognizes our commitment to protecting our most vulnerable children and exemplifies our DC values. It says that as a community, we’re dedicated to making sure our families get the services they need to keep their children safe and well,” said Mayor Bowser. “With a steadfast focus on family, love, and prevention, I am proud that CFSA has transformed into a national leader in the child welfare space. I want to thank Director Brenda Donald and the CFSA staff for their commitment to our children, our families and community stakeholders for their support, and also the Office of the Attorney General and the Plaintiff’s Counsel for their partnership in getting us to today.” (2021)

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/180828/to-escape-court-oversight-dcs-child-welfare-system-is-cutting-corners/

Brenda Donald was later moved to DCHA, received an unusually large bonus, left under a cloud and is now suing.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/08/14/dcha-brenda-donald-lawsuit/

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/746656/former-director-brenda-donald-is-suing-the-housing-authority-its-board-and-robert-white/

For those unfamiliar with DCHA

https://dhs.dc.gov/page/permanent-supportive-housing-individuals-and-families-project-based-tenant-based-local-veterans

https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/574827/d-c-housing-authority-is-failing-in-just-about-every-way/

https://www.dchousing.org/wordpress/d-c-housing-authority-strengthens-leadership-team-with-4-new-appointments/

Since Donald’s departure CFS has had an interim director. With the LIVES of kids at stake maybe it is time for more court oversight.

[Anonymous]

How does court oversight actually help when the USAO is releasing criminals to murder their children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chen supporting one made no difference, I did not vote for Frumin but this is so far beyond him. Cheh’s comments outside Days Inn did likely bump her from office. Predates him by at least a decade+. Chen even got social workers put in Sedgwick Gardens for a time, voucher tenants did not engage. Without the threat of losing the voucher, no effective curbs on behavior. Public housing you can be kicked out and banned. With vouchers, crime, you get moved from Sedgwick Gardens to Brandywine. Do not pay your share, move from Brandywine to Saratoga or Connecticut House.

Truth

But Frump owns it now. He has been negligent or worse on this issue, and it's the vulnerable poor children in these families who are suffering the most

It's not about how the rent is paid but about how children are not protected from known to be violent men. Had they lived in public housing in SE, poor DeAndre would be just as dead.

Frumin is on the housing committee. Still, press him to address CPS laxity and to push USAO to protect women and kids from violent men.

If the children were homeless or in public housing still would not help them. I get that you hate Frumin and I'm not a fan, but your focus on housing is not going to help kids like DeAndre.

Violent men do not need "services" that they are not even required to participate in. They need to be REMOVED FROM THE COMMUNITY.

I wonder about this. One of the consequences of “equity” and sending voucher recipients to Ward 3 is that communities are broken up. Maybe if these kids were in Anacostia the neighborhood church ladies would have looked out for them. Or the school more attuned to signs of abuse and less scared of being labeled “Karens.” Or even relatives around to check in.

This is despicable derailing nonsense. Plenty of toddlers and children are being terrorized across DC and anyone with half a brain can come up with two dozen reasons why “sending voucher recipients to Ward 3” would actually help the respective families get the services (including MPD attention) they need to find a way out of their horror. But on balance, vouchers had nothing to do with this. Stop exploiting the deaths of two children to advocate for push your own pet policy preferences, which seem to almost exclusively serve the goal of keeping all the dysfunction in DC sequestered in EOTR neighborhoods.

Vouchers have everything to do with the blight and crime that have be fallen the Connecticut Ave corridor. It’s you who are using the death of these poor kids to stifle an uncomfortable conversation. The city has had years to fix this. Time is up.

So you are solely focused on what impacts you and not failures by USAO and CFS that have directly led to the brutal deaths of many kids in DC? Your priority is to highjack focus on dead kids to focus on where they were when killed? Journee was a MD resident. If they died elsewhere, no prob?

There have been dozens of threads on here about vouchers, even more community meetings and hearings. Stifled?

Their deaths were not due to housing. Letting USAO and CFS skate, stifling THAT life and death discussion because you think it will never impact you, when these kids are barely cold is something.

I was also surprised 911 answered promptly and sent help to the correct address, not a given, and hasn’t been for many years.

Well I’ll play your game.

Dad applies for voucher.
Dad gets denied voucher.
Dad cannot house his children.
CPS takes children away and puts into foster care.
Dad does not murder his child.


It’s actually quite easy to see how the voucher plays in here.

We can agree to disagree on whether vouchers are appropriate in well established buildings where families and elderly live. For the record, I don’t think they are. Mixing violent criminals with children and elderly is never a good idea.

And we both agree that the DC child welfare system is wholly inadequate.

Game?

The voucher program is not likely to be dismantled or curbed, people have been trying for years, you may be unaware or have not been actively involved. Housing homeless families is a signature program of Bowser. Despite the HUD audit, etc. only small changes to make evictions for violent behavior slightly faster have happened, then relocated, keep vouchers. That is the reality. I wish the program did not exist, so enough with your straw men.

The USAO is failing to prosecute crime overall and dv in particular, as feds we cannot vote them out. Congressional hearings and changes in administrations have not changed the trajectory.

CFS is wholly under the Mayor’s control with Council oversight. Enough with the knee jerk “services” mantra. I have heard people in the neighborhood say he needs “therapy.” No, he needs to be removed from society.

And the $$$ advocacy machine of Homeless, Inc is still screaming the waits for vouchers are too LONG. They largely control the public narrative and media messaging. There is no organized entity with similar power to push back. Housing First has created havoc everywhere, but the narrative is glowing. There is an entire industry around it now with $$$ to be made.

https://friendshipplace.org/news/dc-funded-a-record-number-of-housing-vouchers-heres-how-the-process-is-working/

CFS is the most direct pressure point to address deaths of kids from abuse in DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How does court oversight actually help when the USAO is releasing criminals to murder their children?

What do you propose re USAO? Congressional hearings did not change performance of USAO. Nor did change in administrations. I suspect the career prosecutors and culture are the issue given consistency over D & R appointees. DC was on par with other large D cities until late in Obama’s term, consistently. Not since.

At some point he would be out even if convicted, but for a functioning DC CFS what entity is there to protect the kids then? Court oversight over CFS is better than throwing up our hands re: child welfare, no? They have direct responsibility for child welfare and are locally controlled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those very young kids have had a lot of exposure to violence.

Per Housing First/HUD guidelines, even committing a crime in the apartment does not necessarily result in the loss of the voucher. The prior felony DV charge took place in same apt in Connecticut House. CPS should have been keeping an eye on those kids, so foreseeable that this violent man could harm them. The argument with the girlfriend was said to be about the kids, likely re: his treatment of them. So he punched her in the mouth and threatened to shoot her. Other residents have stay away orders against him. The kids were defenseless.

Hope the girls are with someone safe.

Now, all 650 students at their school have also had exposure to the kind of violence families worked hard to earn the money to move to this part of the city to avoid. Truth.

The irony is that the government seemed to have believed that moving violent people into safe neighborhoods would magically make their lives better, but the reality is that everyone's lives are worse now. No one wants violence to happen. And also, no one wants to live in a place where women are thrown out of windows and babies are murdered by their parents. Moving people around doesn't substitute for mental health, social services, and a strong criminal justice system.

Spreading the problem adults around doesn't fix the problem, it just makes it a more widespread problem and thins out scare government resources in every area of the city.