PHOENIX — A legislative hearing was held Wednesday at the Arizona Capitol with the focus on Emily Pike’s care and group home protocols.
The San Carlos Apache teen was reported missing from her Mesa group home, operated by Sacred Journey Inc., in January. Weeks later, the 14-year-old was found killed about 20 miles northeast of Globe in Gila County.
The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on the Department of Child Safety heard from multiple agencies and groups, including DCS, San Carlos Apache leadership, the Mesa Police Department, and members of Pike’s family.
DCS told lawmakers Pike was in the care of Tribal Social Services and was placed at Sacred Journey Inc. by the tribe. But, as ABC15 has reported, the group home does have a contract with the state.
Who had care over Pike is important because it impacts what legislation and response is required and what information DCS would have access to.
“DCS and the tribe, it’s like the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing, and we have to bridge that gap,” said Senator Carine Werner.
San Carlos Apache Chairman Terry Rambler has said in the past that the tribe will be taking a look at their internal process. Wednesday, he again called for stricter regulations when it comes to group homes off tribal land. He suggested upgrades to alarms at group homes and even technology, like cell phones with the Live 360 app, being provided to children in foster care.
“Emilyran away from Sacred Journey by exiting her room’s window,” said Chairman Rambler. “The alarm on the window had been disabled. Alarm systems in group homes should have an alert when a window or door alarm has been disabled.”
Many who spoke addressed a need for improving communication on all levels.
Mesa police even suggested looking at their forms to ensure there were proper areas to mark if the child was in the care of Tribal Social Services.
A need for urgency and emphasis on runaway cases was also brought up by quite a few speakers.
The DCS Director said during the meeting that they did not get a call from the group home or the tribe when Pike was reported missing.
San Carlos Apache Attorney General Alex Richie said the group home alerted police and Tribal Social Services.
“But our CPS worker wasn’t convinced based on what they were saying that the child was actually ‘missing,’ and that’s because of the child’s past behaviors,” said Richie.
ABC15 has reported that Pike had been reported as a runaway from her group home three other times in 2023.
Our team of ABC15 investigators is also working to learn more about two sexual assault reports from Pike in the months before she was placed into foster care in 2023.
Lawmakers asked San Carlos Apache leadership and law enforcement about protocols for those types of investigations.
Sacred Journey Inc. was on the agenda as a presenter, but they didn’t come. Senator Werner said during the meeting that they were advised not to attend due to a potential civil lawsuit that may be filed.
The San Carlos Apache Chairman also called for a Memorandum of Understanding to be worked out between DCS and all Arizona tribes.
ABC15 was told by the DCS Director, Kathryn Ptak that the department currently has four MOUs with Arizona tribes, but not currently with the San Carlos Apache tribe. Director Ptak told ABC15 more were in process and conversations had already started.
Our team also reached out to DCS regarding the licensing inquiry that was opened into Sacred Journey Inc., but we are waiting to hear back.
