A Montrose County grand jury today handed up a raft of charges against operators and staff of a youth rehabilitation camp in connection with the death of a 15-year-old who died in their care.
Caleb Jensen died in May 2007 from an untreated staph infection at a court-ordered wilderness camp run by Alternative Youth Adventures in Montrose.
The program was shuttered after his death and surrendered its state license.
The grand jury filed various negligent homicide, child abuse resulting in death and manslaughter charges against staff and management, as well as Dr. Keith Hooker, the camp’s medical director.
“CEC stands by its position that at all times the company acted appropriately and that the circumstances that lead to Caleb Jensen’s death, while tragic, were not reasonably foreseeable,” according to a statement from the New Jersey-based company that owns the wilderness program, Community Education Centers.
District Attorney Myrl Serra did not return a telephone call to comment on the indictments.
Jensen was placed in the program by the Utah Division of Juvenile Services two months before his death.
His mother, Dawn Boyd of Salt Lake City, could not be reached for comment this afternoon.
A tribute website she created includes a handwritten letter said to be the last one he wrote home from the camp.
Caleb said in the letter, “I wish I could go back and be a good little boy, a nice little naive church boy who couldn’t steal bubble gum without feeling bad about it. I want to wear sponge bob pj’s and big teddy bear slippers and cuddle up next to my mommy. I usta think I was to hard of a gangsta that nobody could break me, but they found my weakness and I want to come home.”
Alternative Youth Adventures, its parent company, program director James Omer and Hooker were charged with negligent homicide and child abuse resulting in death.
Staff member Ben Askins was charged with manslaughter and child abuse resulting in death.
The defendants will be be formally charged in an Aug. 25 court hearing in Montrose.
Joey Bunch: 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com
