HOUSTON, TX – After an 8-year-old girl was found dead in a hotel pool’s malfunctioning equipment, her mother has filed a lawsuit against Hilton and the local hotel operator, Unique Crowne Hospitality. The victim, identified as Aliyah Lynette Jaico, was reported missing before being discovered trapped within the pool equipment at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in northwest Houston.
Richard Nava of the Nava Law Group, the family’s attorney, announced in a press conference that they seek a minimum of $1 million in damages on behalf of Aliyah’s mother. Nava argued that the incident was avoidable and asserted that the hotel had multiple violations. He emphasized that the pool was not in proper working order.
According to Nava, Aliyah was potentially trying to aid her 5-year-old sister, who was also getting sucked into the malfunctioning pipe. However, he mentioned they are still validating this theory. Witnesses at the pool included Jaico’s sister and numerous hotel patrons.
As per reports, the hotel’s pool has been shut down temporarily. However, no comment was obtained from the hotel’s ownership group.
A representative for Hilton extended condolences to the family but noted that the hotel is independently owned and operated, and therefore, Hilton does not manage or control its day-to-day operations.
Aliyah’s mother had planned a swimming day at the Doubletree, booking a room for the occasion. According to the lawsuit, it took almost 13 hours for the Houston Fire Department and rescue teams to recover Aliyah’s body from the pipes.
The Monday investigation into the incident revealed multiple violations at the pool, including a flaw in the new piping system that caused it to pull water in, opposite to its intended function.