A grieving Houston family is demanding accountability and answers after 15-year-old Jaylah Veal, a girl they say was in the custody of Texas Child Protective Services (CPS), was found shot to death last weekend.
Jaylah’s body was discovered on West Bartell Drive, caught in the middle of what police say was a shootout, though she was not the intended target. Her family says she had been missing since March after fleeing from a CPS-licensed facility in Houston.
My Baby Got Shot
Jaylah’s adoptive mother, Oreena Rivera-Veal, said homicide detectives delivered the heartbreaking news Monday.
“Then the homicide detectives came and told me my baby had gotten shot,” Rivera-Veal told ABC 13 through tears. “I’m hurt. I’m very hurt.”
Jaylah, whom Rivera-Veal adopted at birth, had reportedly been placed in CPS care two years ago due to behavioral concerns. According to the family, she was moved between various facilities and last placed in a Houston-based group home.
In March, the family was told Jaylah had kicked down a door and ran away. Despite CPS assurances that they were searching for her, she remained missing until her body was discovered.
The State of Texas Has to Do Better
Now grappling with the tragedy, the Veal family is raising serious concerns about the lack of oversight and protective measures for minors in state care.
“The state of Texas has to do better,” Rivera-Veal said. “We didn’t get to see her go to prom or graduate from high school. She was so bright.”
Jaylah’s family tried to monitor her movements through social media during her disappearance, but their efforts fell short. They say more should have been done by the agency responsible for her well-being.
CPS: “Repeated Attempts” Made to Locate Jaylah
In a statement to ABC13, Texas CPS confirmed that Jaylah had a history with the agency and said they had made non-stop, repeated attempts to find her following her disappearance.
However, citing confidentiality laws, CPS declined to share further details about Jaylah’s placement history or the exact steps taken to locate her prior to her death. The agency says it is now working with police in the ongoing investigation.
Community Outrage and Questions of Accountability
Jaylah’s death has sparked renewed public scrutiny into how vulnerable youth in the foster and protective care system can go missing with little to no immediate recourse.
Advocates are calling for stronger safeguards, facility monitoring, and improved crisis response procedures to prevent similar tragedies.
