Complaint filed in January about lid of tank where Jacksonville boy's body found

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The city of Jacksonville confirmed that someone filed a complaint with the city earlier this year about the lid of the septic tank where a 3-year-old boy's body was found on Sunday night.

Amari Harley’s body was found in an underground water tank at Bruce Park, hours after he disappeared from a family gathering on Sunday.

City spokesperson Marsha Oliver told Action News Jax that someone who lives in Jacksonville filed a “CARE issue” about the Bruce Park tank lid in January.

The city is working to obtain more information about that CARE issue for Action News Jax, but in the meantime, Oliver said the septic tank has passed all monthly inspections.

Oliver said Bruce Park is one of 76 parks that have septic, or lift, stations for restroom sewage. There are more than 120 such systems throughout the city.

She said all of them are inspected monthly.

Oliver said the most recent inspection documented at Bruce Park was on Sept. 12, and noted that the October report will be available after the month is over.

She said, in February, the lid on the tank in Bruce Park was secured, following an inspection on Feb. 13.

Amari’s family questions how the 3-year-old was able to get inside the tank.

“Why should we have to inspect something that the city should have already taken care of? This is something that should’ve never happened.” said Amari’s great-aunt Janice Douglas.

An exclusive photo taken by another relative at Sunday’s party shows what the family said they believe was a plastic cover over the water tank.

Plastic rings were spotted in a nearby trash can.

The covers that were on the tanks at the time of Amari’s disappearance have now been replaced with thin wooden planks.

“We shouldn’t have to come out here and inspect the park before the kids play,” said Douglas. “We have people in the neighborhood that was coming up to us explaining to us that they’ve called the city quite a number of times about the same thing.”

City Councilwoman Joyce Morgan said people in her district have complained about other parts of Bruce Park, but she needs to check whether anyone complained to her about the tank covers.

“I asked my assistant, 'Did we get any complaints?' And that’s what we’re checking now, to see if we got some. To my knowledge, we didn’t,” Morgan said.

A sign right by the underground septic tanks lists a number to call for emergencies. The number no longer works.

“We need that changed,” Morgan said.

Florida Department of Children and Families workers were taking photos on Monday of the area where Amari’s body was found.

Action News Jax law and safety expert Dale Carson said the city could be liable.

“It absolutely would not surprise me if this does not reach the level of a manslaughter charge. Because if it’s gross negligence – which it certainly, looking at it from the outside and not knowing the specifics of the capping here – this could very easily result in criminal along with civil charges,” Carson said.

Action News Jax requested interviews on Monday with the director of parks, Recreation and Community Services, the director of Public Works and the mayor.

Oliver said it was too soon for any of them to answer our questions.

Mayor Lenny Curry tweeted on Monday, “Very sad. We will always work to ensure safety and security in our parks.”

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is asking anyone who was at Bruce Park between noon and 5 p.m. on Sunday to come forward. Police said they've spoken to several witnesses, but still need to speak with more.

Cox Media Group