Remembering 2-year-old girl who died under foster parents’ care
It’s been one year since a 2-year-old girl died under the care of her foster parents.
Chassie Pietrolungo’s loved ones held a candlelight vigil outside of the Pueblo County Courthouse Thursday night to remember the little girl described as full of life.
“Today I spent the whole day in my room crying,” said Karen Pietrolungo, Chassie’s biological mother.
During the vigil, some were moved to tears, others were holding hands — all were remembering how much joy Chassie brought into their lives.
“This is the happiest kid that you ever saw in your life,” said George Mayfield, who took care of Chassie under an agreement with the Department of Social Services before she moved in with Sarah and Paul Finn.
The Finn’s were Chassie’s foster parents and were in the process of adopting her when she fell down a flight of stairs and became unresponsive. She was rushed to the hospital and died on Aug. 27, 2014. Police said Chassie also fell several times between Aug. 19 and 21, but the Finn’s did not seek medical aid for her.
Earlier this month, Paul Finn was sentenced to 10 years of probation for negligent child abuse resulting in death. Sarah will be sentenced later this year for the same charge, and could serve up to 12 years in prison.
“There’s no justice in that. That’s a life,” Karen Pietrolungo said. “That is a child’s life. And my daughter’s life is worth just 12 years?”
Prosecutors agreed on probation for Paul Finn because there wasn’t any evidence that he was home when Chassie fell.
“I don’t even call that a sentence,” Karen Pietrolungo said. “He has probation. He could still live his life normal. He could walk around. My daughter doesn’t get to walk around. She doesn’t get to enjoy life anymore.”
The crowd of about 30 people who came to pay their respects to Chassie released green and blue balloons. They’re holding on to the hope that her short life carries with it a big legacy — awareness of child abuse.
“If anything good comes of this, it will be simply that awareness will continue to be raised in terms of the nature of the problem, the pervasiveness of the problem. And more than anything else what responsibility each of us have as parents, grandparents, general public. When you see it, don’t hide it. Report it,” Mayfield said.
Chassie’s family also agreed to have her organs donated. She’s helped save two lives by being an organ donor.
