Warrant sought for deaths of 2 Detroit children who died in van, prosecutor says
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday that it has received a warrant request related to the deaths of two children who died in February while sleeping in a van parked inside a Hollywood parking structure.
The prosecutor's office did not release the name of the suspect because charges have not been filed.
"No further information will be released until the warrant review process has been completed," said Wayne County Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Maria Miller.
On March 5, officials listed the official cause of death for 2-year-old A'Millah Currie and 9-year-old Darnell Currie Jr. as carbon monoxide toxicity. The siblings were among five children and two adults sleeping inside a van. The two were found unresponsive on Feb. 10 by their mother, Tateona Williams. Police say the family appeared to be living in the van that was parked in a casino parking structure on Beaubien. Officials initially believed the two children died from apparent hypothermia due to cold temperatures that morning.
Detroit Police Chief Todd Bettison said Wednesday his department completed its investigation into the deaths of the two children and submitted their findings to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office for review. Bettison says his department "has not requested charges to be filed against any family member of the children."
"As we do with every case, we have simply turned over our investigative file to the Prosecutor's Office for its review and determination. Any charging decisions will be made solely by the Prosecutor's Office," Bettison said.
After the deaths of the A'Millah and Darnell, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan tasked Deputy Mayor Melia Howard and Julia Schneider, the director of the Housing and Revitalization Department, with reviewing and addressing the city's homelessness response after it was discovered that Williams called for housing assistance months before the tragedy.
Williams recently received a new home from the city and the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries.
