JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The biological mother of an 8-year-old boy who died Friday morning after a TV set accidentally fell on him appeared Monday before a Duval County judge.
Ashley Hoover is asking to be a part of the investigation into the death of her son, Christian Dozier.
Hoover told New4sJax over the weekend that she lives in Lafayette, Louisiana, and learned of Christian's death through social media.
She arrived in Jacksonville and was in court Monday morning, demanding answers about how the accident happened in the Wesconnett home where Christian was living with his legal guardian, Amy Peterson.
Peterson told investigators that Christian was lying on the floor watching TV when he kicked a shelf, causing the TV to fall off and land on him. He suffered head injuries and died at a hospital.
Representatives from the Department of Children and Families and Jewish Family & Community Services were also at Monday's hearing.
Hoover lost custody of Christian and her other two children several years ago because of drug problems.
She told News4Jax on Saturday that she’s since cleaned up her life and has been struggling to regain custody of her children.
“I got in trouble and went to jail and lost them,” Hoover said. “I had to do 11 to 29 (months) in jail, and I did all my drug classes, my parenting classes and because I didn’t have the money to get in my own home again, they didn’t want to help me.”
But Hoover admitted to the judge on Monday that she would fail a drug test.
“I have marijuana in my system,” Hoover said when the judge asked if she would test positive in a drug screening that DCF requested she submit to.
It's unclear how much that admission could affect her custody fight.
Hoover also said her children’s legal guardian told her that she wasn’t allowed to attend her son’s funeral, but the judge told her that she is welcome to be there.
Hoover will be in court again on May 22.