As Toledo residents pay their respects at an abandoned home in East Toledo where the body of 13-year-old Keimani Latigue was found, Toledo City Council mourned her death at One Government Center and looked at what the city could be doing differently.
“In today’s Blade, just a few minutes ago, they reported that her teacher, her teacher, reported at least twice to authorities that she had a child who had evidence of physical abuse,” Councilman George Sarantou said during Tuesday’s council meeting. “And I guess the question for me is, this is not the first time this has happened. A teacher reports physical abuse of a young person, and what happens? Nothing happens.”
Mr. Sarantou’s comments came just after The Blade reported that Keimani’s sixth-grade English teacher at Bennett Venture Academy reported concerns about the child twice to authorities.
Keimani was enrolled at Toledo Public Schools’ Spring Elementary for this school year.
“We can’t have our young people being murdered and abused, whether it's mental or physical abuse, it has to stop, and we depend on these agencies to do their job,” Mr. Sarantou said. “And I guess my question is, do they do their job? It doesn’t sound like it, but I have an open mind. I want the truth. We all need to have that information ASAP.”
Mr. Sarantou wasn’t the only member of council to express condolences for Keimani. The 13-year-old girl was found Monday in a vacant and burned out house in the 1100 block of Miami Street. The Lucas County Coroner’s Office said she died of “multiple incised wounds of the neck,” and her death was ruled a homicide.
Police issued a warrant on Sunday for Keimani’s father Darnell Jones for abduction. He was the last person to see the teen prior to her disappearance. He was shot and wounded by police in Columbus on Tuesday but is expected to survive.
Councilman Vanice Williams, who has been an educator for 25 years, said it takes a lot for a teacher to report a student they suspect has been abused or mistreated.
“Sometimes it may result into a family disruption,” Ms. Williams said. “But sometimes family disruption needs to happen. I’m not sure. I don’t have any background with what went on with Ms. Keimani, but as a mother, I cannot stomach what has happened to a baby.”
Keimani lived with her grandmother, Dorothy Latigue, in Ms. Williams’ district. The East Toledo house where Keimani was found is in Councilman Theresa Gadus’ district, but Ms. Williams said the house didn’t commit the crime, it was a “tool.”
“The house was a tool that this person used to hide the evilness they did to this baby,” Ms. Williams said. “And one thing that this body can do, is we can work on that.”
The house is scheduled to be demolished in the coming months. Ms. Gadus said the house was on her radar to be demolished, but it is just one of many in her district.
“One of the problems, since I’ve been on council, is just how long houses sit that are caught on fire,” Ms. Gadus told The Blade. “I think that there’s a piece missing in how to handle it. I’m going to host a housing meeting in May in order to address where that problem is, so we can start handling it in a more timely fashion. I don’t know where the problem lies, but the most important thing is that we find where that is and fix that.”
Councilman Brittany Jones echoed Ms. Gadus’ concerns about the city’s demolition procedures. The demolition process for the house will be expedited after Toledo Police Department completes its investigation.
“I am glad that the administration has expedited the demolition of that property,” Ms. Jones said. “I am looking forward to more of streamlining this process when it comes to other properties that are in desperate need of being torn down to avoid situations such as this that could give breeding grounds to situations like this.”
“I feel that this is a wake-up call,” she added. “I know that passion is high, emotions are high, but it’s time for a serious conversation and looking at, what do we do about these abandoned houses, mental health, and things of that nature.”
Ms. Jones is hosting her last community meeting Wednesday at 6 p.m. at HVCAC Community Advocacy, 831 Lagrange St. Ms. Jones said she expects — and welcomes — a conversation about what the city can do moving forward.
“I think a lot of systems failed that poor girl,” Council President Carrie Hartman said. “I think we are included in that.
“I think the community failed her, and I know several of us have already had conversations around demolitions and what else could be done,” she said, “but I think we have to work really hard to prevent that from happening again, because that is just such a shocking and tragic loss. It’s hard when it feels like it could have been preventable.”
First Published March 26, 2025, 12:49 a.m.
