An investigation of Nassau's 1,000 plus open Children Protection Services (CPS) cases was launched last week after county officials state a supervisor failed to follow up on a complaint against a New Cassel woman who had threatened to harm her three children.

County Executive Thomas Suozzi, at a press conference last week, announced that Point Lookout resident Edward Arredondo, 54, a CPS night supervisor, was suspended indefinitely without pay for directing Leatrice Brewer's case for follow up on Sunday, Feb. 24 - rather than Saturday, Feb. 23 - after two caseworkers tried, unsuccessfully to make contact with the mother following a complaint Friday, Feb. 22.

Brewer, 27, a lifelong resident of Westbury, was arrested Sunday after police responded to her 911 call and upon entering her Prospect Avenue second floor apartment found her three children, Jewell Ward, 6, Michael Demesyeux, 5, and Innocent Demesyeux, 18 months, dead on the bed. Police state that preliminary autopsy reports, along with evidence compiled by police at the scene - including a tub still filled with blood-tinged water - suggest the children were drowned. According to Nassau Police Det. Lt. Michael Flemming, Brewer also allegedly stabbed Jewell in the chest, back and neck with an 8-inch kitchen knife and there were wounds on the 6-year-old's hands and arms as well. In addition, police are also awaiting on toxicology reports to determine if the children were poisoned.

Brewer, police said, made the 911 call herself and inadvertently admitted to the killings. As a result, she was arrested and charged with three counts of murder - 2nd degree and one count of murder - 1st degree. She was arraigned bedside at Nassau University Medical Center last week after being hospitalized for injuries sustained when she jumped out her apartment window after calling police.

Police report that since 2001, Brewer had been in trouble with the law several times and had been convicted of harassment, unlawful possession of marijuana and driving-related misdemeanors and infractions. CPS visited Brewer's home six times over the last five years, including Feb. 22, and Nassau police responded to at least a dozen 911 calls to the Prospect Avenue home in the past year. Additionally, family members, including one of the children's two fathers and Brewer's 67-year-old grandmother, had, to no avail, tried to obtain custody of the children through family court.

According to published reports, Innocent Demesyeux, the father of the two youngest children, called CPS on the afternoon of Feb. 22 after Brewer allegedly had threatened to harm the children. After two caseworkers were unsuccessful in reaching Brewer that same afternoon, a follow up visit was assigned for Sunday. Suozzi, however, believes this was a "bad decision." He said preliminary results of the investigation revealed that there should have been a more aggressive follow up and that CPS should have begun an investigation within 24 hours of the complaint, which would have been Saturday, Feb. 23 and not Sunday, Feb. 24 as was scheduled.

At a press conference Feb. 26, Suozzi announced that Arredondo had been suspended, pending the investigation, and ordered an immediate review of all of Nassau's open CPS cases with a history of more than one allegation; as of press time, the number of open CPS cases in Nassau was 1,043.

"While we still have many unanswered questions, the devastating reality is that three children are dead and this says that somewhere, somehow, the system failed. It is our job in government to protect our residents, especially our most vulnerable citizens - our children," Suozzi said. "This is a heartbreaking tragedy for everyone involved and we have to make sure that something like this never happens again."

Additionally, the county will conduct a thorough review of its contact and involvement with Brewer's family. "There were many different points of contact with this family on so many levels and we need to find out why the system failed these children," Suozzi said. "I don't know if we could have prevented this crime, but we need to understand what went wrong. I've ordered an immediate review of anything related to this case ..."

According to the Nassau County District Attorney's office, Brewer is scheduled to appear in court March 7.

On Feb. 28, Rickey Ward filed a Notice of Claim against Nassau County claiming it "negligently, carelessly and recklessly failed to protect Jewel and are therefore responsible for the pain and suffering and wrongful death." The $60 million notice names the county, its Child Protective Services agency and Department of Social Services. Ward, who is being represented by Parker Waichman Alonso LLP, alleges that had the aforementioned agencies performed their required duties, Jewell and her two siblings would have been removed from Brewer's home.