HARTFORD, Conn. — Two rows of supporters donning shirts that read 'It takes a village' joined 34-year-old Tabitha Frank at Superior Court in Hartford where she faced a judge on a new manslaughter charge, nearly two weeks after her 2-year-old son, Corneiluz, fell from a Capitol Avenue apartment window and died.
Hera Noel spoke outside of court on her nephew, known as 'Little Papa' and her sister, Frank.
“An accident did take place. Childcare was on its way they just never made it," Noel said. “Now that it’s a tragedy, we want to pretend that she’s this horrible mother.”
Frank was initially charged with 10 counts of risk of injury after leaving her five children alone.
Hartford Police, who are jointly investigating with the state Department of Children and Families, added a manslaughter charge, saying the family home was in "deplorable and uninhabitable condition."
Among Frank's supporters, is the Reverend Sam Saylor, who recently lost his 12-year-old granddaughter to gun violence.
"The social worker at DCF that does their job well, they would say that she was a good mother and they left her to her mothering. One little mistake makes her a villain?” said Saylor, who says he once saw a sibling fall out of a window while his mother was busy doing something else. That sibling survived.
Saylor says Frank doesn’t deserve to go to jail.
Hartford Attorney Wesley Spears representing Frank pro bono.
“DCF had an open case with this family and provided no adequate support to help Ms. Frank get through this situation. In addition, she’s a Section 8 tenant. Section 8 is supposed to inspect these apartments on a yearly basis and ensure they’re safe for these children," Spears said.
In a prepared statement, Ken Mysogland, bureau chief of external affairs for DCF said, "This is a horrible tragedy and much information is still being learned about the family as we conduct a joint investigation with the Hartford Police Department. We recognize differences of opinion may exist regarding what happened, the conditions in the home, and the children's well-being. The last report was received on the family in April 2023. The last visit occurred in mid-June - over one month prior to the fatality - and based on the information known at that time, the children were deemed safe and the home was observed to be adequate. The circumstances surrounding this traumatic incident highlight the complexities of child protective services work, how quickly conditions in a home can change, and the importance of everyone in the community knowing who to contact if they are concerned about a child's welfare."
Frank is out on bond and due back in court Thursday, Aug. 10.
Her four children are in the care of relatives after being removed by DCF.
A website has been established to help raise money to cover funeral expenses for Corneiluz.
Samaia Hernandez is a reporter for FOX61 News. She can be reached at shernandez@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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