2 homeless children freeze to death while sleeping in van with family in Detroit: police

Tragedy struck Detroit on Monday when two homeless children, a 2-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, froze to death while sleeping in a van with their family. The heartbreaking incident occurred in the ninth floor parking garage of the Greektown Casino, where the family had pulled over to rest. According to Detroit Police Department officials, the van stopped running due to mechanical issues or a lack of gas, leaving the family exposed to freezing temperatures that dropped into the low to mid-teens overnight. The children’s mother had previously reached out to the city’s homeless services for help, but the family’s desperate situation remained unresolved. The deaths have shocked the community, prompting calls for reflection on the city’s response to homelessness and the gaps in its support systems.

The family of seven, including the two deceased children, their two siblings, their mother, their grandmother, and the grandmother’s child, had been living in the van. The grandmother and the mother had been trying to find stable housing, but their efforts were in vain. On Monday, the van’s failure to run left the family vulnerable to the cold. When the mother noticed that the 9-year-old boy was unresponsive, a family friend was called to help. The friend rushed the boy to the hospital, but it was too late. Shortly after, the grandmother realized that the 2-year-old girl was also unresponsive. The same family friend returned to the parking garage to take the girl to the hospital, but both children had succumbed to hypothermia. Interim Police Chief Todd Bettison confirmed that the preliminary cause of death was hypothermia, though the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office will make the final determination.

The loss of these two young lives has left the community devastated. Detroit Police Captain Nathan Duda expressed his sorrow, saying, “(I feel) sad, very sad. Especially as a father. I just can’t imagine what the family is feeling. I wish it hadn’t have happened. This was unnecessary. It didn’t have to happen this way.” Three other children in the van—ages 13, 8, and 4—were physically unharmed but were still examined by medical professionals as a precaution. The children’s mother was detained for questioning but has not been taken into custody. Authorities are working to piece together the events leading up to the tragedy, but the focus has already shifted to how this could have been prevented.

Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan revealed that the mother had reached out to the city’s homeless response team at least three times, most recently in November. During those conversations, the mother mentioned that she was staying with family but wouldn’t be able to do so much longer. However, no resolution was reached, and the family did not follow up after November. Mayor Duggan acknowledged that the city failed to treat the situation with the urgency it deserved, stating, “For whatever reason, this wasn’t deemed an emergency.” He also highlighted that there were available beds at a family shelter just a few miles away from the Greektown Casino, where the family was parked. “It’s gotta make us rethink everything that we’re doing,” Duggan said. “The heartbreaking part of this is that there were family shelter beds available just a few miles away.”

The mayor emphasized that having resources available is only part of the solution; ensuring that those in need can access them is equally important. He noted that Detroit had expanded its shelter capacity this winter, adding 400 beds to bring the total to 1,300, and also increased the number of drop-in beds to 120. Homeless outreach workers were also placed on 24/7 shifts to provide round-the-clock support. Despite these efforts, the family in question appears to have fallen through the cracks. Mayor Duggan vowed that the city would investigate the case thoroughly from a housing services standpoint, acknowledging that this tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for improving the system.

The deaths of these two children have sparked widespread grief and outrage, with many calling for systemic changes to prevent such tragedies in the future. As Captain Duda said, “This was unnecessary. It didn’t have to happen this way.” The incident underscores the urgent need for better coordination between homeless services and families in crisis, as well as greater awareness of the resources available to those struggling. It also serves as a stark reminder of the human cost of homelessness and the importance of treating every request for help as an emergency. The loss of these two young lives will hopefully lead to meaningful reforms, ensuring that no family has to endure such a heartbreaking fate again.