February 17, 2009 - Parents Sue Over Autism Death

---

The parents of a 13-year-old autistic boy who died while in the care of state employees filed suit yesterday, saying workers were not properly trained or supervised.

Jonathan Carey died in February 2007, allegedly after one of his caretakers from the O.D. Heck Developmental Center upstate improperly restrained him during a field trip.

The federal suit charges officials covered up three earlier incidents in which Edwin Tirado - who was found guilty of manslaughter - abused Jonathan.

"We believe Jonathan would still be with us if proper investigations were done and supervisors did their job," said the boy's father, Michael Carey.