Death Of Toddler Who Once Lived At Homeless Encampment Now Classified As A Homicide Investigation

[Sugar Cookie]

Metro Nashville Police are now investigating the death of 23-month-old Ariel Rose as a homicide.

Rose was found dead at a Nashville halfway house where her father and grandmother were living back on Nov. 11.

Officers said she was in the care of an extended relative at the time of her death and not her parents.

On Tuesday, the Davidson County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Rose’s cause of death was fentanyl toxicity and the manner of death was ruled accidental.

Metro’s Youth Services Division, however, believes the evidence shows Rose was placed in harm’s way.

Rose first made headlines when a video surfaced of what appeared to be Rose with her father living at the homeless encampment in Brookmeade Park last April.

Not long after that, her aunt was granted custody of the little girl.

When her aunt could no longer take care of Rose, she was sent to live with her fraternal grandmother and father who were both at the halfway home.

Rose’s grandfather Mickey Rose spoke with NewsChannel5 Investigates last November and said Rose stayed the night with a neighbor before she was found dead.

Mickey Rose said the Tennessee Department of Children Services should have acted sooner to take custody of his grandchild away from her parents who he says struggled with substance abuse. Mickey says he called DCS multiple times after he found the Brookmeade video online.

“DCS failed her because she should have been taken out of that encampment on day one. They should have placed that child in the state’s custody. Maybe the state’s custody is not the best. It’s not what a child wants, but she would be alive,” Mickey said.

Mickey said Ariel spent two months living in the encampment with her parents.

Death of toddler who once lived at Brookmeade Park now classified as a homicide investigation

Metro officials say there is enough evidence from their investigation to classify Ariel Rose's death as a homicide.

www.newschannel5.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Ariel Rose

 

[Granmaw]

That beautiful child never stood a chance.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

OX 17 News continues to press for answers after 23-month-old Ariel Rose died from fentanyl toxicity back in November.

An autopsy revealedAriel had 12 times the lowest reported lethal dose of fentanyl in her system.

“I told them countless times over this child does not need to be in this facility by no way, no means. I said something bad is gonna happen,” says Robbie Casas, a former security guard at the facility Ariel died.

Casas says he was a security guard at the facility where Ariel died, and says the conditions inside were not safe, including drug use.

Casas says he would see Ariel and her parents at the facility everyday, and would try telling the caseworker his concerns many times. But nothing would be done.

If anybody needs to be responsible, well they all need to be responsible," says Casas. "The church, for one thing, the caseworker for sure, because I mean one ear out the other."

FOX 17 News reached out to the group who runs the building, Community Care Fellowship.

The Executive Director tells us in a statement:


Community Care Fellowship (CCF) has always been and continues to be committed to the residents it serves and stands by the case management services provided to many of our residents.

Regarding comments made by a former security guard at Highroad Place, it should be noted that CCF terminated the contract with the security company that employed that individual several months prior to the tragedy involving Ariel Rose. The termination was for low performance and overall failing to meet the organization’s security needs.

Additionally, one of our case managers did notify local authorities regarding illegal drug activity taking place among residents in the building on multiple occasions in the months before Ariel's passing.

Many of our residents arrive at Highroad Place while experiencing homelessness, and in a number of cases individuals are dealing with drug addiction. While our case managers and other support staff are committed to helping residents overcome addictions and other challenges, those residents reside in their own private residential units. They are afforded privacies similar to those of any other private individual or family living in their own home.

Amid the challenges faced by many in our tenant community, CCF remains committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for all its residents.

“Did you call DCS at all?” asks FOX 17 News’ Amanda Chin.


“Yeah. That’s worthless. I called them so many times. Are you kidding me?” says Casas.

“How many times?” asks Chin.

“Twenty times, maybe. Same thing. Leave a recording, call this person, we’ll call you back. Yeah right. That ain’t happening,” says Casas.

This comes as body camera footage first released to FOX 17 News shows Ariel inside Brookmeade Park’s homeless encampment months before she died, a place known for drugs and crime.

“Jonathan, that kid is not supposed to be here,” says a Metro Police Officer.

“I know it’s crazy man, I’m sorry,” says Ariel’s father.

“So, you know I’m gonna tell DCS that kid’s here, right?” says the officer.

DCS says when a court grants temporary custody to another person, DCS is no longer responsible for that child.

Ariel’s family tells FOX 17 News the aunt had temporary custody of Ariel at the time she died.

'Something bad is gonna happen': Security guard who worked at facility 23-month-old died a

FOX 17 News continues to press for answers after 23-month-old Ariel Rose died from fentanyl toxicity back in November.

fox17.com

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Two people have been charged in connection with the drug overdose death of a 23-month-old child after a year-long investigation by Metro Nashville police.

Jesse Mashburn, 36, and Melissa Sutton, 46, were indicted by a grand jury after investigators said the toddler they were caring for, Ariel Rose, died of fentanyl ingestion on Nov. 11, 2022, inside the Highroad Transitional Living Facility on 25th Avenue North.

Mashburn and Sutton were arrested Wednesday in a Hermitage apartment complex. Both are being held on $100,000 bond.

Rose's grandfather Mickey Rose is suing Highroad Transitional Living Facility and Sutton, as Ariel's babysitter, saying both had obligations to keep the toddler away from drugs. He's seeking at least $15 million in damages, court records show.

"These places are supposed to help turn people's lives around," Rose's attorney Isaac Kimes said in July. "And very clearly, as delineated in the (lawsuit), there were drugs running through this place like a river. And police were called out there, I mean, what we found in 2022 from January 1 until the day Ariel was found dead, it was well over 100 times."

The lawsuit noted that Ariel was in the custody of her aunt, but the woman had placed her in the care of her father, Jonathan Rose, who was living at the facility.


On the day of Ariel's death, Jonathan Rose asked Sutton to watch the child, the lawsuit said, claiming that Sutton was a "frequent user of illegal drugs." It claims the child came into contact with fentanyl in Sutton's room at some point.

MSN

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Jonathan Rose should be charged to - if they were known addicts he was aware he was placing the child in danger.

I get the family wants a fast buck and wants to go after the deepest pockets but the child is dead because of the family members themselves.

 

[Sugar Cookie]

The Department of Children’s Services (DCS) released its investigation into the death of Ariel Rose.

The 23-month-old died from fentanyl back in November of 2022, and now there are new details surrounding her death and the circumstances leading up to this tragedy.

The autopsy shows Ariel died from fentanyl at Highroad Place, a transitional housing center in North Nashville.

This DCS report shows Ariel’s aunt had legal custody of her stemming from a DCS investigation that began in March of 2022.

Keep in mind, body camera footage FOX 17 News received shows Ariel inside Brookmeade Park in March of that year with her parents.

That DCS investigation stemmed from concerns about Ariel’s birth mother and father, where records show they both have criminal backgrounds.

DCS investigators say the aunt dropped Ariel off at Highroad Place to be with the grandmother a day before Ariel died.

In a DCS interview with Ariel’s aunt, she reveals she would take Ariel over to Highroad multiple times with no concern and didn’t think it would be an issue for Ariel to stay there with other family members.

Court orders in the file reveal Ariel’s parents were supposed to appear before court before they could be granted supervised visits.

The grandmother had two other people take care of Ariel that night, which is ultimately where she died.

Investigators say somewhere between midnight and 1 a.m. on Nov. 11, 2022, the sitters moved Ariel from her stroller to the couch and noticed she appeared cold, but was breathing.


When the caretakers woke up around 10 a.m., the report shows they found Ariel deceased in what DCS calls a “drug rehab facility,” which was Highroad Place, and believe Ariel should not have been staying there.

In December of 2023, Metro Nashville police officers arrested Melissa Sutton and Jesse Mashburn with felony murder charges. Police say they were caring for Ariel when she was found unresponsive. Both have pleaded not guilty.

The DCS report shows officers found drug residue in the apartment, drugs out on the table and needles in a drawer.

Officers say the drugs had been within reach of Ariel, and later determined the drug residue came back positive for fentanyl, marijuana and methamphetamines.

But just how much fentanyl did Ariel have inside her body? Ariel had 12 times the lowest reported lethal dose, for a little girl who had her whole life ahead of her.

While there is a criminal case, there is also a civil lawsuit filed by Ariel’s grandfather. He is suing the facility where Ariel died and the nonprofit running that program.

DCS releases investigation into death of Ariel Rose over a year later

The Department of Children’s Services released its investigation into the death of Ariel Rose.

fox17.com

If the grandfather knew Ariel was being taken over there he should not receive one penny.