Police in Houston are probing the death of an 8-year-old girl, whose body was discovered inside a large pipe at the DoubleTree Hotel in northwest Houston
As CrimeOnlne previously reported, the incident happened a little after 10 p.m. Saturday. A witness told police they saw someone trapped in a pipe in the “lazy river-style” pool. Police identified the victim as Aliyah Jaico, and said she was located “inside a large pipe in the pool area.”
According to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, Jaico died from drowning and “mechanical asphyxia,” and the death is considered accidental.
Jaico’s mother, Jose Daniela Jaico Ahumada, filed a lawsuit Monday alleging her daughter had been pulled into an unsecured opening in the pool’s circulation system, which measures between 12 inches and 16 inches wide.
“They had to break up concrete in order to extract her, cut pipe; it was absolutely horrific,” Ahumada’s lawyer, Richard Nava, said during a Tuesday news conference.
Doubletree by Hilton Houston Brookhollow and Hilton Worldwide Holdings have been named as defendants in the lawsuit.
A spokesperson for Hilton said the property operates independently under third-party ownership. The spokesperson declined to comment further, stating that Hilton had not yet received the lawsuit.
Meanwhile, Click 2 Houston reports that the pool has since been closed after inspectors found numerous violations, including remodel plans that did not match federal compliance laws. It’s currently unclear when the remodeling took place.
“Operator failed to obtain a pre-opening inspection prior to placing the pool into operation after a remodel,” Investigator Curtis Cagle wrote in an inspection report.
The pool also did not adhere to federal regulations aimed at stopping drain entrapment and preventing child drowning incidents. In part, inspectors found a missing cover on the pipe opening, while another “outlet cover was partially missing from the pipe where search and recovery occurred.”
Inspectors also noted in the report that they saw two sharp edges on the lazy river deck. They also found fecal matter on the pool deck, which they suspected to be from a dog.
The hotel pool operator was reportedly told to furnish revised plans matching the on-site specifications to the Houston Permitting Center. They also need to supply a copy of the building permit, ownership verification form, pre-opening document request, and W-9.
“A pool operator is required to submit plans to the Houston Planning Center for major structure and plumbing changes,” a Houston Health Department spokesperson told Click2Houston.
“The Health Department is then notified to review plans for compliance to the pool codes adopted by the city. The pool operator also needs a pre-opening inspection before getting the pool in operation after a remodel.”
The story is developing. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Aliyah Jaico/Dignity Memorial]
