BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — The tragic death of a Titusville toddler who police said was murdered back in 2021 has now led to a lawsuit filed on Thursday.

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The lawsuit blames the system for the death of 4-year-old Joy King Castro. She was found unresponsive in her foster mother’s home and later died from her injuries.

Now, an attorney for her family is alleging the agencies that placed her in that home – Brevard Family Partnership, Brevard Cares and the Florida Department of Children and Families – should all be held accountable.

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The attorney said it was those agencies that made the decision to remove Joy from her biological mother’s care, and it was up to them to place her in a safer environment if they believed she was in a dangerous one.

Her foster mother, Lakeisha Mitchell, told investigators, she found the toddler unconscious in a bathtub full of water, where she said she had placed joy to “wake her up” after she thought the girl was “faking being unconscious.”

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Two days later, Joy died from her injuries, and investigators say Mitchell’s story fell apart. She was charged with first-degree murder and pleaded not guilty.

See the full story in the video above.

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1 person killed, another in critical condition after shooting near Brevard County park 1 person killed, another in critical condition after shooting near Brevard County park (Chantelle Navarro, WFTV.com/WFTV)

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