Texas CPS rips children from family after autistic daughter escapes hotel and drowns in nearby lake

Thursday, August 04, 2016 by: L.J. Devon, Staff Writer
Tags: autistic children, parental rights, CPS

---

(NaturalNews) The Wartena family of seven was returning from vacation, traveling home to California, when they were suddenly faced with the most tragic of circumstances. The family, stopping off to lodge at the La Kiva Hotel in Texas, was unprepared for what happened next. When their seven-year-old autistic daughter, Alexis Wartena, went missing that evening, the family called for police help and began to desperately search the area.

The hotel was adjacent to a large body of water, the T-Anchor Lake. The land behind the hotel is rugged and drops off, giving way to the city lake.

As parents search for missing daughter, CPS comes in and takes the other four children

That Tuesday evening played out in horror for the family. As they searched frantically for their missing child, Michael Wartena and Tiffany Stewart were confronted by police investigators who launched a six hour "investigation" that was dead set on forcing some kind of confession from the mother. Before the parents could find their daughter, Texas CPS arrived to take the four other children away. The parents lost everything dearest to them as police authorities fought against them, assisting the CPS in kidnapping their other four children.

Young autistic girl's body found the next morning

Authorities found the young girl the next morning, in the lake behind the hotel, where she had apparently drowned. Gaps in the fence were also reported. It's the worst case scenario for parents of autistic children who are aware that their autistic child may suddenly wander away. Little Alexis was nonverbal and prone to wander away. Autistic children will sometimes "elope" and do not understand what they are doing or the danger they are wandering into.

Police torture mother emotionally, assist CPS in illegal seizure of family's other four children

Amarillo attorney Jesse Quackenbush took up the case and fought on behalf of the Wartena's, who were grieving the loss of their autistic daughter, while also facing a ruthless CPS that swept in and kidnapped the rest of their four children.

Quackenbush quickly filed a formal complaint with Amarillo Interim Police Chief Ed Drain, alleging that the officers "began a six hour investigation designed to mentally torture the mother into a confession", while interfering with the family's own search of their daughter.

During the lengthy investigation, officers emotionally tortured the mother by continuing to make accusations that she had murdered her own autistic daughter. Furthermore, the complaint goes on to detail how the family was intimidated, told they would be prosecuted and lose custody of their children "unless they submitted hair, fingerprint and blood samples."

Attorney Quackenbush's letter said that the obstructing officers violated the couple's Fourth Amendment Constitutional rights, which guard against unreasonable search and seizure. "All of [the Wartena's] personal belongs were seized, probably without a warrant, and definitely without probable cause or consent." Police Chief Ed Drain immediately launched an internal investigation.

According to preliminary autopsy findings, Alexis's death is determined to be by drowning. Quackenbush said that the police "told the family that this is an accident drowning" and still, a determination has yet to be made on the manner of her death. The hotel was cordoned off as if it was a crime scene. The family had no choice but to stay in Amarillo for a week, with little money, while they worked with attorney Quackenbush and a bereavement counselor pro bono.

Quackenbush did everything he could to expedite the process of reuniting the family. With local media pressure, the CPS eventually backed down and returned the children to their parents so they could return home together. This incident is yet another case of CPS and authorities emotionally abusing parents while abducting their children through crude intimidation procedures and illegal search and seizure.

Sources include:
HealthImpactNews.com
Amarillo.com