Ashaquae Foster

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Numerous reports were received by the El Paso County Department of Human Services about twelve year old Ashaquae Foster being abused and mistreated. In that instance, child protective caseworkers determined Ashaquae’s step grandmother had improperly left her with the developmentally disabled aunt who then hit the child. Ashaquae, however, remained in the home.

On August 21, 2009 she died from choking after going into cardiac arrest. Ashaquae’s mattress was soaked with urine. Her nose had been bleeding throughout the night, but she could do nothing because her family had locked her in a room she shared with a developmentally disabled aunt. Her stepmother, Tranquileta Foster, told police she and Ashaquae’s father, Karren Foster, waited for nearly six hours to seek medical assistance because they feared they could get into trouble for locking the child in the room, which was six feet wide and eight feet deep.

 

El Paso County child protective workers had received reports as far back as 1999 alleging various relatives had hit Ashaquae, that her stepmother and father routinely locked her up in her room, and that the child was pulling out her own hair. The El Paso County Department of Human Services also was told in 2003 that Ashaquae had been seen malnourished, digging through the trash and eating raw meat. She told a teacher in 2006 that her stepmother hit her, and in 2007 she wrote on the back of one of her school assignments, “I am ugly girl mom hates me.” She told a teacher that her stepmother had called her ugly and yelled names at her and had punched her in the nose. Nine allegations of abuse or maltreatment were made, but only one resulted in a finding of neglect and failure to supervise the child. No criminal charges were filed against Ashaquae’s father and stepmother.

 

 

 

 

 

http://childfatalities.denverpost.com/#id=14&name=FosterAshaquae