News 6 discovers emails between DCF and “Special Examination” committee after Volusia shooting

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – A letter of apology from a 14-year-old girl, accused of shooting deputies in Volusia County alongside a deadlocked 12-year-old boy who made national headlines, is now seen as key evidence in the case against her.

The prosecutor says the apology is also a confession letter.

“We are reviewing cases as they arise, making sure to publicize our discovery,” said state attorney RJ Larizza, who oversees Circuit 7 which includes Volusia County.

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The shooting between two children and MPs is not the only high-profile case involving minors that Larizza has had to prosecute recently.

In April, Larizza charged a 14-year-old with manslaughter after investigators discovered the child hit a security guard to death during an escape attempt. The child was temporarily accommodated in an emergency reception center for minors on the First United Methodist Children’s Home campus, known locally as FUMCH.

A month later, in May, Larizza charged a 14-year-old with first degree murder when investigators discovered he stabbed 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey more than 100 times.

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A month later, in June, Larizza indicted the 14-year-old girl and the 12-year-old boy for the shooting with the deputies of Volusia. The two children were also staying at the FUMCH emergency shelter when they fled, broke into a nearby house, found weapons and started shooting.

“People expect state prosecutors to solve these problems, but that’s not what we were created for,” Larizza said. “State prosecutors protect you and your families. “

However, in a one-on-one interview with News 6, Larizza admitted that the problems with the local juvenile system have lasted for generations.

“I was a probation officer for family members, and then I sued their children. I have represented them and their families in private practice. Now I am suing their grandchildren as an attorney general. I mean this needs to be resolved, ”Larizza told News 6 investigator Merris Badcock.

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After the Volusia shooting, News 6 learned that the Department of Children and Families (DCF) led a special examination focused on the “health of our system” in Circuit 7, according to emails obtained by News 6 via a public registration request.

The emails show that representatives from the Larizza office, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) were asked about the “strengths” and “weaknesses” of the system.

According to the emails, the committee focused specifically on “crossover” children: children who have a history with both the DCF and the DJJ.

“Public safety is our number one problem. Yet we have a lot of social impact on our system due to poverty, lack of education, lack of opportunities, family breakdowns and family worth issues, ”Larizza said.

According to the emails, the DCF-led special review committee met for about a month, met in June, and debriefed in July.

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The records show that a final report was generated, but DCF did not respond to a News 6 recording request requesting a copy of the report. DCF also did not share what officials learned during the special examination, and where they might consider going from here.

“We have to become more innovative. You have to reach them before they reach us. This is the ultimate goal, ”said Larizza.

News 6 attempted to obtain the report from other agencies involved in the special examination, but officials said they never received a copy of the final report.

Even without DCF’s response, News 6 has been able to find improvements in the community since the high-profile incidents of the summer.

First, the FUMCH emergency shelter, which housed three of the four minors charged by Larizza, was closed.

Shortly after the shooting, News 6 investigators discovered more than 250 reports of runaway children within a five-year period of FUMCH. Since the shooting, the sheriff’s office says there have only been three reports of leaks.

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After the shooting, FUMCH began hiring VCSO deputies on leave to patrol the campus at night. However, FUMCH has stopped contracting deputies on leave October 1.

It’s unclear why FUMCH ended the special details or if it will revisit them, but there appears to be a correlation between hiring assistants on leave and reducing service calls from the FUMCH campus.