How Could You? Hall of Shame-Zane Wolfgang Thomas case-Child Death

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

This is a missed 2016 case.

From Carlsbad, California,”CPS took Zane Wolfgang Thomas away from his mother, Kimberly, shortly after he was born June 8. Kimberly was struggling with a drug addiction, she said.”

““We had to find out that he was moved to a foster parent’s home,” Ulises Thomas, Zane’s uncle said.

“Foster parents should work if the young lady doesn’t have anyone to go to in the state. That’s a foster parent. But we had grandma, we had family friends. We had everybody here. I even drew it out for them I said you had A and B. The whole time,” Ulises Thomas said.

They said baby Zane was already in grandma’s care up to five days a week

“I was so happy. When he was with me he was so happy. Always, always happy,” Maria Thomas said.

They said CPS finally granted Maria full custody, starting in October.

September 8 was one of the few days of the week CPS had baby Zane in foster care at a home in Scripps Ranch.

That day, he died.

“I cry day and night,” Maria Thomas said through tears.

Police believe Zane died from a medical condition, but the autopsy is not complete.

The Thomas family also said CPS did not tell them Zane was dead for 24 hours.

“They just dropped the ball. I feel helpless. No answers. I feel ignored. I just don’t think any human being should be treated like this,” Kimberly Thomas said.

10News reached out to CPS and a spokesperson said they would not talk about this specific case, but said procedure is always to keep the child with the biological family first.

The Thomas family wants an outside audit of Zane Thomas’ case.

“They had people lined up. It wasn’t like it was a mystery, like where should we place the baby?” Ulises Thomas said.”

Family of baby who died in foster care: ‘CPS messed up’[10 News 9/14/16 by Emily Thode]

“A 3-month-old boy who passed away while in foster care died of natural causes, a medical examiner determined.

Child Protective Services took the baby boy, Zane Wolfgang Thomas, from his mother, Kimberly, shortly after he was born on June 8. Kimberly Thomas was struggling with a drug addiction.

At the time of the boy’s death, he was in foster care for a few days a week and his grandmother, Maria Thomas, cared for him the rest of the time. Maria was eventually granted full custody, which was scheduled to start in October.

But on Sept. 8, the boy died at a foster home in Scripps Ranch.

Police initially believed Zane had died from a medical condition. Autopsy results released this week found the child died a natural death associated with follicular bronchiolitis. [Follicular bronchiolitis is a rare disease in children “Follicular bronchiolitis (FB) is a benign progressive lung disease. It is characterized with lymphoplasmocellular infiltration and hyperplastic follicles in the peribronchial areas in the small airways. Follicular bronchiolitis should be considered in cases where chronic cough, recurrent upper respiratory tract infections and progressive dyspnea are observed in children. [Turk Pediatri Ars. 2014 Dec; 49(4): 344–347.]It can be treated with  targeting “the underlying condition as well as administration of steroid and immunosuppressants. The overall prognosis will depend on the underlying or associated abnormality. Some case may respond to macrolide antibiotics” [Follicular Bronchiolitis article]”]There were other contributing health factors as well, according to the report.

In mid-September, the boy’s family told 10News they felt Child Protective Services had unfairly taken the baby from family members and that it took the agency 24 hours to let family members know he had died.

“They just dropped the ball,” Kimberly Thomas, the boy’s mother, said at the time. “I feel helpless. No answers. I feel ignored. I just don’t think any human being should be treated like this.”

A Child Protective Services spokesperson told 10News at the time they would not talk about this specific case, but said their procedure is to always to keep the child with the biological family first.”

Autopsy: 3-month-old found dead in Scripps Ranch foster care home died of natural causes[10 News 11/15/16 by Shannon Cheesman]

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