‘Lack of communication' led to unpermitted group home where murder occurred, Bartow official says

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a day ago

BARTOW, Fla. (WFLA) — 'Some chicken and rice,' said Eddrena Thornton, taking out a tray of food she has prepared for the five people who live with her in her home.
'I feel like I'm doing a mission that God wants me to do. It's my calling,' said Thornton.
Since 2020, Thornton has run a state-licensed adult family care facility in her home with a focus on people with mental health issues.
'They don't have nowhere for them to go because they can't afford to go to assisted living because they may not have long-term care plus their income is low. They can't afford to live on their own. Their family's not taking them in so they go back to the street,' she said.
In February, she opened – what the city of Bartow considers to be – a group home in a rental house across the street on Bluebird Avenue.
Unlike with her adult family care home, she did not notify any governmental agencies.
'Because the people were living independently,' she said. 'I always heard that as long as you're not doing nothing for them, then you're OK. It's like they're just renting a room.'
'You're collecting money. You are engaging in a business where your sole goal is for people to live there as a group then that would be considered a group home,' said Tray Towles, director of code compliance and neighborhood services for the city of Bartow.
Towles said group homes require an application and permit approval.
'It goes to our planning and zoning board who reviews that application, makes sure it fits within the scope of the ordinance,' said Towles.
Towles said the violation was the result of a 'lack of communication.'
'When she actually opened her licensed facility, she reached out to the city of Bartow and made sure that she was in compliance with all of our codes at that time. She did not do that in this instance when she opened up the group home at 2226 Bluebird,' said Towles.
The owner of the home, a Texas-based company, is in the process of evicting Thornton as a renter. All the residents have moved out.
Towles said, because the residents are no longer there, there will be no further action or fines imposed on Thornton.
'The Bartow Chief of Police has been in touch with representatives of the Wind Meadows HOA to strengthen communication and a team approach to addressing safety concerns in the neighborhood,' said city manager Mike Herr in a statement.
Towles said there are no other known group homes in the neighborhood.
A neighbor tells News Channel 8 that many residents have concerns about who Thornton is housing in the neighborhood.
The violation was discovered when, earlier this month, Thornton allowed an 18-year-old named Moses Ojeda to move in.
Thornton said a placement agency and Ojeda's mother contacted her as Ojeda was being released from the hospital after being Baker Acted.
'I looked at the psychiatric evaluation. He had issues for him to get Baker Acted but the psychiatric evaluation said that he was calm and stable, normal, had good talk and he said he was ready to get discharged and go home with his mom,' said Thornton.
Thornton said she was not able to meet him but allowed him to move in because of his mother's desperation.
Later that night, Thornton saw Ojeda outside.
She said she tried calling his mother to pick him up because of his strange behavior but she did not answer.
Thornton said she slept on the sofa in the group home to keep an eye on Ojeda and talked to him that morning.
'He sat down and he was talking to us about God and about life and death and all this stuff…[while] the man in the room dead!' said Thornton.
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, Ojeda fatally stabbed an 81-year-old man more than 100 times in the night.
'This tragedy happened to me to not put my heart first but to always make sure I follow my steps – no matter if the person is gonna be homeless. That's not my problem. I'll see you tomorrow,' said Thornton.
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