A federal lawsuit says the El Paso County Department of Human Services neglected 2-year-old Alize Vick by leaving her in the care of her foster mother despite numerous reports of physical injuries and a neighbor’s complaint that the child was being tortured.
Alize’s biological parents sued the agency Friday, alleging caseworkers did not do enough to protect the girl during the seven months she was in foster care.
“The department is deeply saddened by the death of Alize Vick,” said Rick Bengtsson, director of El Paso County DHS. “Since this is a case currently in the courts, we are not able to comment.”
An autopsy showed that Alize died from head trauma on Oct. 10, 2007. The girl’s body showed signs of older injuries and a pattern of abuse.
Her foster mother, Jules Cuneo, is charged with first-degree murder of a child under 12 and knowing and reckless child abuse resulting in death.
Cuneo, 36, has pleaded not guilty. A jury trial is scheduled in El Paso County on Nov. 2.
Five months before Alize died, the department received a detailed letter from a neighbor that said Cuneo, who weighed about 300 pounds, was sitting on the 30-pound girl.
The neighbor also recorded the abuse on tape because it was being transmitted from a baby monitor.
“Furthermore, you can hear Jules teaching (Alize) to say, ‘(Alize) is stupid’ and ‘(Alize) is a chicken,’ ” the letter says. “I have been listening to the baby monitor for a month now. The relentless lessons and cruelty have been the norm.”
Caseworker Sue Fisher went to Cuneo’s home five days after the neighbor wrote to investigate.
“By her own statements, Fisher knew the details of the letter and tape, did nothing to remove Alize from the Cuneo residence, and said nothing about the evidence in her investigative report,” the lawsuit says. “After Alize Vick was killed, Fisher was subsequently reassigned within El Paso County DHS but apparently was not terminated.”
Alize’s file contained nine incidents of head or facial injuries over a three-month period, most of them reported by Cuneo, the suit says.
Three days before Alize died, Kayla Dutcher, 5, died from a fatal overdose of a prescription narcotic.
El Paso County DHS had received a complaint that the girl was being neglected by her parents and living in a recreational vehicle without heat and other necessities.
The lawsuit said the Dutcher case shows a pattern and practice of failure by the agency to follow up on reports of neglect and abuse.
Felisa Cardona: 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com
