The estate of 11-year-old De’Vonte Bailey has dropped Lucas County Children Services from its wrongful-death lawsuit, saying the agency never had custody of the boy.

Estate administrator Ernest Williams, Bailey’s father, filed the dismissal Nov. 6, dismissing the claims against LCCS with prejudice — ending them permanently. Claims remain pending against Turning Point Residential Services and its owner, Takeyla Brown, who filed their answer Nov. 2.

The original complaint, filed Oct. 6, alleged supervision failures before Bailey was fatally struck while riding a bicycle on Oct. 6, 2025. LCCS had disputed the claims, saying it neither operates nor licenses group homes and had no placement contract with Turning Point. The case is Lucas County Common Pleas CI2026-04245.

This is a follow-up to ToledoBuzz’s Oct. 15 report.

Source: The Lake Erie Inquiry, Nov. 14 (citing the court docket and 13abc).

Image: DPLA / Wikimedia Commons