Eleven-year-old Consentino student Precious Wallaces died Tuesday, Dec. 18. (File photograph)
As students at Haverhill’s Consentino School come to terms with the loss of their friend and classmate Precious Wallaces, the Essex County District Attorney overseeing an investigation into her death tells WHAV a police presence doesn’t necessarily indicate criminality.
In fact, investigators assigned to District Attorney Jonathan W. Blodgett’s office look into all “sudden and unexpected deaths” regardless of suspicion of foul play, according to Blodgett’s spokeswoman Carrie Kimball Monahan.
“At this point in time, all possible causes are being considered—including possible exposure to a toxic substance. However, we cannot confirm any specific cause at this time—as that is the purpose of our investigation,” Kimball Monahan said.
WHAV has received unconfirmed reports the student ingested a substance after school before falling ill. According to Kimball Monahan, toxicology reports are still pending.
Eleven-year-old Wallaces was visiting relatives in Lawrence on Saturday, Dec. 15 when medics responded to 233 Jackson St., No. 5, just before 3:30 a.m. Kimball Monahan said the girl was found unresponsive at the home and was treated at Lawrence General Hospital before being flown to Tufts Medical Center in Boston. She remained on life support at Tufts before her death on Tuesday afternoon.
In a message to the Consentino school community late Tuesday, Superintendent Margaret Marotta remembered Wallaces as a “beautiful, well-loved girl.” Grief counselors are at the school this week to assist students, she said.