A Tennessee toddler is dead after a suspected fentanyl overdose. Ariel Rose was weeks from her second birthday when she was found dead in a halfway house in November. Ariel's parents allegedly struggled with substance abuse, and the child had not been receiving proper care.
At the time of her death, she was reportedly living with her father and grandmother at the halfway house after spending time at the Brookmeade Park homeless encampment in West Nashville.
Ariel's parents reportedly checked into a rehab facility, and several family members cared for her in multiple homes before she ended up back in the care of her father and grandmother at the rehab facility, where she was found unresponsive, according to a report in November by WTVF. Her family contends that the Tennessee Department of Children Services failed the little girl.
Ariel's death was not the first time the child made headlines.
In March 2022, WZTV reported on a video of Brookmeade Park's homeless encampment, which many claim is a dangerous place. In the video, it's evident that the park is riddled with drug use and other illegal activities, but at the time, most believed only adults lived there. Then the video circulated last spring, reportedly showing Ariel with her father at the park.
Activists petitioned to have the encampment removed and the park restored to a place people could enjoy safely.
"Everybody knows that this is not a homeless encampment. This is a death encampment," Rebecca Lowe, founder of the group Reclaim Brookmeade Park, told the news outlet. "This is a drug den."
Ariel's family wanted her away from Brookmeade.
Ariel's family saw the video of her at Brookemeade and tried desperately to get her out of that environment, according to WKRN. Her relatives claim that DCS ignored their cries for help, ultimately leading to Ariel's death.
"She was surrounded by drugs," Ariel's uncle, Michael Rose, told WKRN. "You open up the tarp and there is a bunch of trash laying around feces. It's just disgusting."
The family made multiple calls to DCS, but Michael Rose said they never returned the calls. "It's like talking to a brick wall when it comes to DCS," he said.
Her uncle said DCS should have removed the toddler the second the video surfaced.
In an interview with WZTV, Michael Rose blamed DCS for not helping Ariel on day one.
"DCS failed her because she should have been taken out of that encampment on day one. They should have placed that child in the state's custody. Maybe the state's custody is not the best. It's not what a child wants, but she would be alive," he said.
In a statement released shortly after Ariel's death, DCS explained its involvement in the case.
"It is the practice for DCS to petition the court when parents cannot care for their children and they are not safe. The court must then determine custodial matters. By statute, DCS cannot identify people who report child abuse or neglect, nor can we release information regarding past involvement with families. However, we can confirm that we are currently working together with the Nashville Police Department to investigate the death of this child," the statement read.
Ariel's parents refused to give up custody of their toddler.
When asked by WZTV why he didn't take custody of Ariel, Michael Rose claimed that her parents would not give her up. He said that the parents and Ariel reportedly lived in deplorable conditions at Brookmeade for two months.
Ariel's death is now considered a homicide, WTVF reported. On Tuesday, the Davidson County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed Ariel died from fentanyl toxicity and that it was accidental. The station asked Metro Police if there was a suspect in the case, but they said it was too early in the investigation to name anyone.
Tennessee DCS has been in the news twice in the past year.
A Clarksville grandmother pleaded for help for her grandchildren in the summer. Dawn Maddox reported her daughter, Cheyenne, to DCS after seeing the children's living conditions. Her 13-year-old grandson, Kadaris Maddox, had severe cerebral palsy and was in a wheelchair. He died after Dawn Maddox tried to get him help but DCS did not respond.
"We've tried – family members, friends, schools and hospitals have been trying for years to get DCS to step in and either take him or get my daughter some help, and it's not helped," she said at the time, according to WKRN.
In October 2022, Cheyenne Maddox was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Kadaris' death.
Ariel Rose's family hired an attorney.
In an attempt to get justice for Ariel and to hold someone accountable for her death, Mickey Rose, Ariel's grandfather, hired Branstetter, Stranch & Jennings, according to WKRN.
In an interview with the news outlet, Gerard Stranch did not mention individuals or DCS by name, but he confirmed that his office is looking into Ariel's case from all sides.
"We are hoping Ariel's death can not just serve as a catalyst to drive people out of the market that are supporting and facilitating illegal drug markets, but also can lead to larger legislative and other changes to prevent something like this from occurring again," Stranch said.
