A Miami-Dade judge has threatened to jail a Florida Dept. of Children & Families lawyer, suggesting the attorney lied about the welfare of foster children who may have witnessed a Miami Gardens teen hang herself while broadcasting on Facebook Live.
Judge Maria Sampedro-Iglesia says regional child welfare director Clarissa Cabreja could be arrested if she doesn't appear at a March 8 hearing. Spokeswoman for the department, Jessica K. Sims, says the agency "fully intends to comply."
The order follows a request by Sampedro-Iglesia for information about foster children living in the foster home January when 14-year-old Naika Venant died.
The judge would like to ensure the children who were in the Miami Gardens home at the time of the suicide receive proper counseling or treatment, according to a report by the Miami Herald.