Family feels negligence played role in boy's electrocution

by Sarah Rice (srice@wsbt.com)

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Five-year-old Izaya Baiz-Hickey was electrocuted after he climbed inside a utility box at a Mishawaka apartment complex

Five-year-old Izaya Baiz-Hickey was electrocuted after he climbed inside a utility box at a Mishawaka apartment complex on Thanksgiving Day, 2008. (Photos provided)

By WSBT News1

Story Created: Jan 22, 2009 at 4:25 PM EST

Story Updated: Jan 26, 2009 at 12:21 AM EST

MISHAWAKA — New details have emerged surrounding the death of a Mishawaka boy. Five-year-old Izaya Baiz-Hickey was electrocuted after he climbed inside a utility box at a Mishawaka apartment complex on Thanksgiving Day. Police wrapped up the investigation about a month ago, and they've ruled the incident as accidental.

But Izaya's family doesn't buy it.

Looking at pictures of her grandson gives Melodie Hale comfort.

"I get to see his beautiful blue eyes and remember his wonderful smiles," said Hale.

But pictures are all Hale has left of 5-year-old Izaya Baiz-Hickey, the boy she calls the light of her life.

Izaya was electrocuted after he climbed inside a utility box. Officials say not only was the box left unlocked, there didn't appear to be a lock on it at all. The big question is why. But officials don't have an answer for that.

"What we know is that the young man was not carrying bolt cutters and cut it open and climbed into the box. Somehow that box became unlocked, and what has been unable to be determined anywhere is how it got unlocked," said Mishawaka Mayor Jeff Rea.

Police have ruled the incident as accidental.

"I feel it was accidental on Izaya's part. But I feel it's negligence on the electric company's part or whoever is responsible for monitoring those things," said Hale.

But Mayor Jeff Rea says he's confident the utility company did not leave the box unlocked. There are a lot of unknowns, and that's frustrating for Hale.

"It took him away from us at a time when he was in kindergarten and he was learning how to read and write and loving life so much," said Hale.

And frustrating for the city.

"And I think that's the difficult thing for everybody," Rea said. "I think everybody's quick to try to attach blame here and we just don't know. And we're certainly not trying to shirk any responsibility that we have. We know we own the box."

Until now, Rea says locks have prevented tragedies like this from happening for more than 100 years. At this point, the city does not have plans to put anything else on the boxes other than locks.

Rea says there is a set policy to check the locks on all utility boxes.

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