Management company responds to family’s lawsuit over Aliyah Jaico’s death after she was sucked into hotel pool pipe

A management company involved in Aliyah Jaico’s death has responded, denying any responsibility for the 8-year-old’s death.

The incident occurred late in the afternoon of March 23, while Jaico was swimming in the lazy river of DoubleTree by Hilton with other family members. Without warning, the girl was sucked into an unsecured open breach in the pool’s drainage system. More than 12 hours later, his body was discovered stuck in the pool pipes.

Following this tragic event, Jaico’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the owners and local management companies affiliated with the hotel. The lawsuit claims gross negligence and the family is seeking more than $1 million in damages.

In a legal response to the family’s lawsuit, Northwest Hospitality Services, LLC claimed the parents were responsible for what happened.

“Northwest asserts that Plaintiffs engaged in negligent acts and/or omissions that directly caused the alleged injuries and damages,” the court document states.

The court document reflects a response from Unique Crowne Hospitality, the hotel’s local owner, filed in April. UCH’s response contained the exact same quote, but with its name inserted rather than Northwest’s.

The second response to the Jaicos’ lawsuit comes just days after reports surfaced that the pool remained closed and had still not been repaired in the nearly three months since Aliyah’s death.