911 calls redirected to wrong number cost 11-year-old girl her life, lawsuit says

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Thursday, May 24, 2018
911 call reveals family's frantic attempt to help dying child
Police release 911 call made by the family of Ashley Flores, the 11-year-old girl who died of a severe asthma attack last Christmas Eve.

LOS ANGELES -- Police have released one of at least five 911 calls made by the family of Ashley Flores, the 11-year-old girl who died of a severe asthma attack last Christmas Eve.

Previous calls for help that day were redirected to the wrong number, according to Flores family attorneys, who have filed a claim against Los Angeles County and Sheriff Jim McDonnell.

Attorney Dale Galipo said that delay cost the child her life.

"The doctor at the hospital, who spoke to the family, told them that if the response had been sooner, in his opinion, Ashley would have lived," he said.

The frantic voice on the call belongs to 16-year-old Dulce Flores, Ashley's older sister.

"I tried calling you guys like five minutes ago," Dulce can be heard telling the dispatcher. "The baby's not breathing."

"Can you please hurry up? I think she's dead."

The sheriff's department said in a statement that it does not comment on pending litigation, but that McDonnell personally reached out to the family to extend condolences.

"All of us, including our families, rely on 9-1-1 in an emergency and we are committed to a complete review of what occurred, from the moment the first call came through," the statement said. "It is essential that we do all we can to ensure the public trust that our emergency response system works."