NO CHARGES WILL BE FILED IN TEEN'S DEATH

No charges will be filed in the case of a teenager who died at a
behavioral treatment center after reportedly being restrained for
disruptive behavior, authorities said.

But a report released Saturday from a nonprofit watchdog group
recommended changes at the Ephrata, Lancaster County facility where
the Allentown teenager died.

An autopsy showed that Giovanni "Joey" Aletriz, 16, had an
undiagnosed heart condition that could have contributed to his death
on Feb. 4 while being restrained at the SummitQuest Academy,
Lancaster County District Attorney Donald Totaro said Friday.

The results angered his mother, Cynthia Allen of Allentown, who on
Saturday held a 3-foot by 4-foot piece of white cardboard covered
with handwritten messages from her son's friends at SummitQuest Academy.

"This can't happen to somebody else's son," she said. "I don't want
to see somebody else's son beaten to death."

Allen was upset with Totaro's ruling that she said was based on the
Department of Public Welfare's assessment that the academy followed
policy and procedure for restraint.

"If they had followed policy and procedure my son would be alive," she said.

He had asthma, she said, and SummitQuest knew he had it and never
should have restrained him.

Allen, a licensed practical nurse, said she has been working with the
Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania and plans to
be at a news conference at 11 a.m. Wednesday on the steps of the
Capitol in Harrisburg with the organization's Executive Director Sue Walther.

Allen's attorney, Peter Karoly of Allentown, said she wants justice
for her son and plans to propose both state and federal legislation
to protect children with mental illness.

Aletriz suffered from bipolar disorder, which often can be controlled
with medication.

"This is a case that started with problems over a skateboard," Karoly
said. "The case manager here recommended that he go to SummitQuest."

Allen and Karoly requested a review of SummitQuest by Pennsylvania
Protection and Advocacy, a nonprofit organization designated by the
state to protect those with disabilities.

"SummitQuest inappropriately restrains the youth in its care ...
resulting in both abuse and neglect," said its March 22 report, which
Karoly released Saturday.

Among 13 recommendations, the advocacy group said SummitQuest should
prohibit prone restraints, adopt a non-physical model for treatment,
get experts' advice on how to provide care and establish a plan to
decrease the population at SummitQuest within two years.

"Although some may legitimately question the wisdom of using manual
restraints on children, the evidence shows that these procedures were
approved by the Department of Public Welfare and they were followed
by employees of SummitQuest," Totaro said in a statement.

Aletriz's death was the second at SummitQuest in less than two
months. Another resident, James White, 17, died in December of what
the Lancaster County coroner determined was natural causes.

The state Department of Public Welfare has placed SummitQuest on a
six-month provisional license because of "significant health and
safety concerns for the kids at the facility," said department
spokeswoman Stacey Ward said.

SummitQuest has appealed that decision. Officials did not return
calls for comment.

Allen didn't understand why no charges have been filed.

"How are you going to run a behavior and anger-management place when
every time you turn around, you're angrily restraining children?" she said.

SummitQuest is a 129-bed facility that treats teenagers and preteens
who have problems with mental health, sexual offenses and sexually
inappropriate behavior.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.