Agency pressed for answers in abuse death of 3-year-old Washington girl

OLYMPIA, Wash. (KCPQ) -- Prosecutors say a 3-year-old Bellingham girl was shaken to death, but her cause of death has not been released.

According to Bellingham Police, a woman called 911 the morning of Nov. 27 to report a child possibly choking on something. The child, 3-year-old Hazel Homan, was taken to St. Joseph's and treated for hypothermia. Staff also found she was suffering from a brain bleed.

She was transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where doctors told investigators the toddler appeared to have symptoms of shaken baby syndrome. Doctors said there were no signs of choking and they suspected abuse. She died on Nov. 30.

Investigators said they believe the child had been the victim of a pattern of abuse, as evidenced by healing broken bones, other injuries and reports from Child Protective Services. Investigators say the physical and emotional abuse started happening sometime after June 2019 when Hazel was returned back to her dad after being placed in CPS custody.

Kamee Dixon, the girlfriend of Hazel's dad, has been charged with second-degree murder. Police say Dixon was the primary caretaker in the last six months of Hazel's life.

After weeks of waiting for a response, Secretary of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families Ross Hunter sat down with Q13 News for an interview.

Q13 News tried to find out if CPS received multiple reports about Hazel in the last six months of her life. Family members claim they did.

As of Tuesday, the King County Medical Examiner's Office had not determined the exact cause of death for Hazel.

Secretary of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families Ross Hunter says the case is being reviewed by an independent investigator outside CPS.