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Health Impact News

Local Texas media has been reporting the story of the Wartena family, who recently had been returning to California from vacation and stopped in Texas along the way. Tragically, their oldest daughter who was autistic wandered away from their hotel and drowned in a nearby lake. Wandering or “eloping” is a common issue parents of children with autism are familiar with.

Local police intervened and the parents’ other four children were immediately taken away by Texas social services and held for over a week. On one of the visitations, the parents noticed that one of their children had bruises all over his body, as he had suffered in foster care. Thanks to local media’s coverage of the situation, CPS quickly returned the other children and the parents went on their way back to California.

Here are some local media reports of this tragic situation and state-sponsored kidnapping of children from a grieving family.

Amarillo officials investigate fencing around lake after drowning

Parents of Alexis Wartena allege ‘mental torture’ by police

Wartena children returned to family amid injury accusation

Local Texas attorney Jesse Quackenbush represented the family, and filed an official complaint against the Amarillo Police Department for detaining the parents while they were still searching for their daughter, and aiding CPS in abducting the remaining children.