DEARBORN HEIGHTS, Mich. – Law enforcement sources confirm that the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has been in contact with authorities to address growing concerns involving Vista Maria, a residential facility for vulnerable girls in Dearborn Heights.
A spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said in part:
“The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is deeply committed to ensuring the health and safety of youth at licensed childcare facilities and child-placing agencies. MDHHS is conducting ongoing assessments of programming at Vista Maria and will work with the facility to ensure concerns are addressed.”
Meanwhile, officials in Dearborn Heights are holding their own meetings with leadership at the Dearborn Heights police Chief Ahmed Haidar confirmed:
“Erika, you guys have been in talks with Vista. Maria, the fire chief, sat down for about an hour and a half. We believe it to be a productive conversation.”
This marks a sharp contrast from just one month ago, when Chief Ahmed Haidar described Vista Maria as a major drain on the department’s manpower, citing 368 calls to the facility in 2024 alone.
“It was a little bit overwhelming for [Vista Maria],” Chief Haidar said. “They didn’t believe there were that many calls for service there.”
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Since March, dozens of complaints have surfaced, ranging from improper restraints and poor security to sexual misconduct and injuries involving staff and residents.
Just last week, a Dearborn Heights police officer was placed on desk duty for allegedly striking a resident.
“We believe force was used, and he was taken off the street. We are completing an investigation on that,” said Haidar.
Vista Maria characterized their recent meeting with city officials as “productive,” adding that they are taking into account the suggestions offered.
“We gave them advice about maybe doing campus police, having their own police department,” Haidar said.
He added that discussions were also held about how to reduce the time officers spend at the facility and dealing with calls to the facility.
“For example, when we have to take [residents] to the hospital, we have to sit there and wait to do a petition, which really takes up most of our time,” Haider said.”
Despite the discussions, serious concerns persist among current staff.
Employees continue to raise alarms about safety to Local 4 — both for themselves and the at-risk youth — citing understaffing and inadequate training.
There are also new allegations that staff have suffered negatively due to increased media attention.
Vista Maria has not commented on these new claims or many of the other questions posed by Local 4 over the last three weeks.
A spokesperson for the facility only said Thursday, May 29, 2025, that “Vista Maria can’t comment on any personnel or resident issues.”
Many of the recent allegations from staff and residents began surfacing after a 16-year-old trafficking victim went missing from the facility.
She was later found staying with a 62-year-old man just 3.5 miles away.
According to her family, the teen is now at a new facility across the state and is “doing much better.”
Police said the man she was found with was living in the U.S. on an expired visa and is still detained by ICE.
A warrant for charges is currently under review by the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
“I think he should be charged here—do his time for what he did here, and then be deported—and that’s what I’m hoping for,” said Haidar.
Meanwhile, our team continues to work on getting answers, reaching out to Vista Maria and state officials, making calls, and filing more than a dozen Freedom of Information Act requests. We will continue to follow this story closely.