NY NY - Patrick Alford, 7, Brooklyn, 22 Jan 2010 - #2

[Fyrecat]

There is something 'odd' about this case:

1) Based on what I've read, bio mom appears a bit unstable. She appears to have been in at least one fight, and she may have issues with anger we don't know about.

2) Where is dad? Was there a man involved in mom's life at the time?

3) Was there a relative this child was particularly close to? Or a friend?

 

[Fyrecat]

I see Jennifer's point.

1. Yes, they should have placed him with family---IF family members were found capable of caring for him.

2. Yes, Patrick should have been placed with someone who spoke English (that is actually crazy that they placed him with someone that spoke little English, and he spoke no Spanish)

I am still not letting Jennifer off the hook for leading a life that lead to this mess, BUT I will say that CPS/DSS had a HUGE role in his disappearance. Surprise surprise!

CPS/DSS workers in NY usually see their families a few times a month. They see FC, if I am not mistaken, 2 x a month in the home. Sometimes it's more often, as they also are responsible for keeping up with other appointments, such as school meetings, doctors appointments, counseling appointments, etc.

It's been my experience that bio parents and families are sometimes more involved than they say when kids are in care. This isn't to point fingers, it's because I know it to be true from experience.

It would be my guess that the family would somehow be involved...why? 1) This child was old enough not to go off with people he didn't know. He would draw attention to himself in some way if he made too much of a 'fuss'.
2) Even here in large, 'impersonal' NY, I think people would get their 'hinky-ness' up if a child appeared with an adult carrying on badly, and someone might say something, either to the person with the child, or to someone else. (I was on a train one time when a white man of middle age got on with two little girls of color. He wasn't very nice to them, snapping at them, and appeared very shady. At least 6 of us on that car were staring and I and 3 others got off and spoke with a police officer who was nearby).

I really believe that there is more to this case. I work with kids, and yes, sadly, children of this age DO RUN AWAY!!!! Sometimes with pre-arrangement with adults who have told them where to meet them, how to get there, and may even have arranged to meet them nearby.

I wonder, too, was mom ever involved in gang activity?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

It would be my guess that the family would somehow be involved...why? 1) This child was old enough not to go off with people he didn't know. He would draw attention to himself in some way if he made too much of a 'fuss'.
2) Even here in large, 'impersonal' NY, I think people would get their 'hinky-ness' up if a child appeared with an adult carrying on badly, and someone might say something, either to the person with the child, or to someone else. (I was on a train one time when a white man of middle age got on with two little girls of color. He wasn't very nice to them, snapping at them, and appeared very shady. At least 6 of us on that car were staring and I and 3 others got off and spoke with a police officer who was nearby).

I really believe that there is more to this case. I work with kids, and yes, sadly, children of this age DO RUN AWAY!!!! Sometimes with pre-arrangement with adults who have told them where to meet them, how to get there, and may even have arranged to meet them nearby.

I wonder, too, was mom ever involved in gang activity?

Respectfully snipped. Also, not trying to argue. Just throwing some other ideas out there.

1) Yes, I don't believe Patrick would have *intentionally* gone with someone he didn't know. However, he may have been tricked by someone seeming "official", like a bus driver. Or, he could have been grabbed quickly. Unfortunately, we know it happens all the time. Somer Thompson disappeared in the middle of the afternoon walking home from school. No one saw it happen, or saw her making a "fuss".

2) I agree. But I don't think anyone would have just been walking down the street or sitting on the subway with Patrick.

Most kids of this age who "run away", do it for a few hours. Then they get scared, hungry, tired, etc. and go home. Patrick has been gone for 10 months tomorrow. He didn't do this on his own.

But meeting an adult that he knew is an idea that has been thrown around. Very possible. BUT...I just don't think it was his mother. She would have screwed up and gone to see him by now. Once she felt "safe" and thought the police had stopped following her, she would have seen him. Also, why not tell Patrick to bring his sister? And all of the known relatives have been investigated repeatedly. I'm not saying it's impossible. I'm just saying...

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

10 months tonight. Come home soon, Patrick.

 

[CHICANA]

Because these workers aren't allowed to make statements!
I can tell you, most care VERY MUCH about the children on their cases.

I wonder if FM had any other Foster children this young guy might have spoken to?

I am leery of the bio family. Sorry, but there may be some 'extended' family who feel keeping Patrick away from mom, and maybe sprinting him off to another country, such as DR or somewhere like PR might 'help' the child.

They don't have to make a statement to look for him.

How would the 'extended family' know when the foster mom was going to take out her trash and 'lose' Patrick ?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Patrick has been missing for 10 months now. Come home soon, little guy.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Happy Thanksgiving, Patrick.

 

[summer_breeze]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mom_day_tears_S1kXjn0DKsvlYIcYyzKTlO

By C.J. SULLIVAN, LARRY CELONA and LEONARD GREENE
Last Updated: 6:29 AM, November 26, 2010
Posted: 2:07 AM, November 26, 2010

Jennifer Rodriguez remembers her son, Patrick Alford, blowing out the candles on his white-frosted birthday cake last year, then rushing out to play on his brand-new skateboard.

But there will be no cake for his birthday Sunday. Two months after the Staten Island boy turned 7, he vanished.

 

[summer_breeze]

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local...s_at_bklyn_complex_sues_over_missing_boy.html

BY John Marzulli
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Friday, November 26th 2010, 4:00 AM

Starrett City is trying to squash a federal lawsuit that accuses the Brooklyn housing complex of negligence in the disappearance of 7-year-old Patrick Alford.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Mom of missing boy Patrick Alford, 7, blames complex's faulty security cameras for disappearance

Starrett City is trying to squash a federal lawsuit that accuses the Brooklyn housing complex of negligence in the disappearance of 7-year-old Patrick Alford.

The suit, filed by Jennifer Rodriguez, the mother of the boy missing since January, claims security cameras were not working at 130 Vandalia Ave. "and failed to capture the entry and exit of persons entering and exiting the building."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local...plex_sues_over_missing_boy.html#ixzz16PdigT3h​

​

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Mom mourns son, missing for nearly a year

Jennifer Rodriguez remembers her son, Patrick Alford, blowing out the candles on his white-frosted birthday cake last year, then rushing out to play on his brand-new skateboard.

But there will be no cake for his birthday Sunday. Two months after the Staten Island boy turned 7, he vanished.

And despite one of the police department's most exhaustive searches in missing-person memory, including 1,000 interviews, and queries as far away as Florida and Puerto Rico, Patrick is no closer to being found than the day he disappeared from the Brooklyn foster home, where he was staying after Rodriguez lost custody.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/staten_island/mom_day_tears_S1kXjn0DKsvlYIcYyzKTlO#ixzz16PedMXdR​

​

 

[webrocket]

Mom of missing boy Patrick Alford, 7, blames complex's faulty security cameras for disappearance

Starrett City is trying to squash a federal lawsuit that accuses the Brooklyn housing complex of negligence in the disappearance of 7-year-old Patrick Alford.

The suit, filed by Jennifer Rodriguez, the mother of the boy missing since January, claims security cameras were not working at 130 Vandalia Ave. "and failed to capture the entry and exit of persons entering and exiting the building."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local...plex_sues_over_missing_boy.html#ixzz16PdigT3h​

​

I'd still love to read the entire complaint. not sure where to find it and I'm not sure why it's in federal court. that part stumped me from the beginning.

if Starrett City does not have security cameras then the allegation should have been inadequate security as opposed to negligently maintaining existing security systems.

the whole problem here is that the chain of events began with bio mom and her interactions with child services then the courts.

I have no problem with litigation as it often gets to answers that people can't get otherwise. for example, making child services explain the placement with this foster mom and making the foster mom give sworn testimony about what happened that day. beyond that, I still think that bio mom's beef is with the decision to take her children from her, which was a judicial decision and as far as I know, she cannot sue a judge for what she thinks is a wrong decision.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

I'm not sure that she has much to go on in her complaint, either. However, if I were Patrick's mother, I'm sure I'd be grasping at anything and everything, too.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

 

[CHICANA]

I'd still love to read the entire complaint. not sure where to find it and I'm not sure why it's in federal court. that part stumped me from the beginning.

if Starrett City does not have security cameras then the allegation should have been inadequate security as opposed to negligently maintaining existing security systems.

the whole problem here is that the chain of events began with bio mom and her interactions with child services then the courts.

I have no problem with litigation as it often gets to answers that people can't get otherwise. for example, making child services explain the placement with this foster mom and making the foster mom give sworn testimony about what happened that day. beyond that, I still think that bio mom's beef is with the decision to take her children from her, which was a judicial decision and as far as I know, she cannot sue a judge for what she thinks is a wrong decision.

Is she suing a judge ?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Is she suing a judge ?

She is suing Administration for Children's Services and the apartment complex. Not sure if there is anything else as we haven't seen the full complaint.

 

[webrocket]

Is she suing a judge ?

I doubt it.

my commentary was more directed to the quirks of suing in federal court. to sue there, as opposed to state court, usually you have to sue under either a federal statute or vindicate a federal constitutional right. I don't see either at play here, but without seeing the complaint itself, it is unclear why she chose federal courts.

if she was claiming that her constitutional rights to her child were violated, that decision was made by a judge and I don't see her winning in ANY court based on that. if we are talking about an ordinary negligence claim, those are usually brought in state court.

Child services claimed the foster mother had been successfully caring for children for 20 years. if the litigation process proves that to be false, then bio mom may have a strong case of negligence against child services. if however the opposite is true, that she had been an exemplary foster mother then I don't see any negligence on the part of child services with that placement.

it is a more complex question if child services relied upon information it knew was false. then again the finger can be pointed at the entity.

the reality is that even biological parents can take their eyes off their own children for one minute and harm can befall them. we saw that in the Missouri case where a woman wasa shopping with another woman she knew and went to the bathroom. while she was indisposed, the other woman took her child from the store and drove off. luckily that child was found (if my memory is correct)

 

[Kimster]

Patrick is our featured cold case for this week.

http://websleuths.com/wsblog/?p=37&preview=true

www.websleuths.com

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Kimster, thank you so much for spotlighting Patrick!!!