Five Department of Juvenile Justice employees have been indicted by a Whitfield County Grand Jury in the death of a Gilmer County teen.
Maveis Brooks, a sergeant, 35, of Calhoun, Russell Ballard, a cadet, 62, of Chatsworth and Rebecka Phillips, an officer, 45, of Chatsworth were all indicted on two counts of first-degree cruelty to children and a count of second-degree cruelty to children, according to a release from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Monica Hedrick, a nurse, 62, of Ringgold, and David McKinney, detention center director, 53, of Rome, were both indicted on a count of second-degree cruelty to children.
According to a previous statement by Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice Commissioner Tyrone Oliver, a 16-year-old female was taken to the Regional Youth Detention Center in Dalton during the evening of Aug. 26, 2022.
The Gilmer County teen was identified as Alexis Sluder, following the indictment.
“While at the facility, she became unresponsive,” said Whitfield County Coroner Greg Bates in a story about the death.
He said the teen was transported by ambulance to Hamilton Medical Center where she later died.
“The youth began experiencing an adverse reaction from what RYDC staff learned was an illegal substance she ingested before her admittance into our facility,” said Oliver’s statement in the initial release following the death.
The Dalton Police Department asked the GBI to investigate the in-custody death at the Dalton Youth Detention Center.
The Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office joined the Dalton Police Department in assisting in the investigation. The Whitfield County District Attorney’s office is prosecuting this case.