Body cam footage shows previous response to Xenia house where girl died in ‘filthy’ conditions

XENIA — A 12-year-old girl was found dead in her Xenia home last week after school officials expressed to police and children’s services concerns over her welfare, according to public records obtained by News Center 7.

Aaliyah Artis was found dead June 8, three days after her birthday. She was found at her house in the 1500 block of Texas Drive, according to a Xenia police report.

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Xenia Police Capt. Steve Lane said the investigation into her death is still open and a police report lists her death as “non criminal.”

No charges have been filed in the case, according to records.

Artis’ cause and manner of death are listed as pending by the Greene County Coroner’s Office.

News Center 7, under Ohio public records laws, inspected Artis’ autopsy report Thursday afternoon and discovered the home she was living in was “filthy.”

According to coroner’s investigators, Artis had numerous insect bites, possibly from bed bugs, and the house had partially consumed food in every room and there was evidence of insect infestation.

Signs on the outside of Artis’ home show it was condemned six days after her death.

Xenia Community Schools employees brought up concerns they had about the welfare of Artis multiple times to Xenia police and said they also filed reports with Greene County Children Services.

“Aaliyah has cognitive disabilities and she has been engaged in our remote learning form and it has been since September since our teacher has been able to engage or see Aaliyah,” Tecumseh Elementary School Principal Cathryn Rice told police dispatchers Jan. 12.

Rice said Artis’ teacher had dropped off school work at the house the previous day, but hadn’t seen Artis for months.

“She arrived and the curtains were drawn, and the doors were locked…that has been pretty consistent,” Rice said.

Xenia Police body camera footage from Jan. 12 shows two officers checking on the home after the call from the school district.

“Hi, we’re doing a welfare check to see if Aaliyahs here, if she’s ok?” an officer said in the video.

“Yeah, she’s fine,” the woman who answered the door said.

The woman never moved out of the doorway as she spoke briefly with officers.

“Have you been in contact with the school at all? Because, they said they cant get ahold of you at all,” an officer asks the woman in the video.

The officers urged the woman to contact school leaders about Aaliyah’s schooling, then left, apparently without seeing Aaliyah.

News Center 7 has asked Xenia police if that is standard procedure with juveniles, since, without a warrant, officers would need the guardian’s permission to enter the home. News Center 7 is awaiting the department’s response.

About a year earlier, on Jan. 28, 2020, police responded to the house after the school become concerned about Artis not showing up for school for a week. Dispatch records showed Artis’ mother said she had missed the bus and records noted “conditions were fine.”

The Greene County Department of Job and Family Services Director was unable to verify whether the department had any open cases involving Artis prior to her death last month.

“We are not able to share any information on child welfare cases, which are confidential by law. The agency investigates allegations of abuse and neglect and provides supportive services to families and children,” Beth Rubin, Director of Greene County Department Job and Family Services, said. “We are prohibited from disclosing case-specific information regarding reports or activities.”

Neighbors said it wasn’t just school officials that didn’t see Aaliyah.

“You almost never saw them, not even the older children,” said Paul Johnson, who lives in the neighborhood.

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