A three-year-old boy from Alabama has died after being left for hours in a sweltering car by a contracted worker for the state’s Department of Human Resources.
Ke'Torrius “KJ” Starkes Jr., of Bessemer, was found unresponsive inside a vehicle parked outside a home on Pine Tree Drive in Birmingham on Tuesday, June 22.
According to Birmingham police, KJ was in the car from approximately 12:30PM to 5:30PM, PEOPLE reports.
He was pronounced dead at 6:03PM, after temperatures in the area reached 96 degrees, with a heat index that may have pushed the interior of the car to as high as 150 degrees, according to attorney Courtney French.
French, who represents the young boy's family, said the child had been placed in DHR’s temporary custody following allegations of drug use in the home.
KJ was picked up from daycare that morning to attend a supervised visit with his father at a DHR office in Bessemer. Following the visit, the worker, employed by Covenant Services Inc, allegedly ran personal errands with the child still strapped into his car seat.
Stops included picking up food and visiting a tobacco shop, French told the outlet. The worker then returned home, leaving KJ inside the vehicle.
“This is a heartbreaking and preventable tragedy,” French said. “The safety net that should have been in place to protect KJ and others like him is what caused his death. So the very system that is in place for his protection was the system that led to his death - and that’s what’s so tragic about this.”
KJ’s aunt, Brittney Debruce, told AL.com that when the foster parent went to collect KJ from daycare, he was not there. She and the Birmingham police later discovered the boy inside the vehicle.
DHR issued a brief statement confirming the boy was being transported by a contract provider when the incident occurred.
“The provider has terminated their employee,” the agency noted, adding, “Due to confidentiality, DHR cannot comment further regarding the identity of the child or the exact circumstances.”
Birmingham police said the driver, who has not been publicly identified, has been cooperative and was brought to police headquarters for questioning. No charges have been filed as of yet, but the investigation is ongoing.
In a statement shared through French, KJ’s parents said, “This is a parent’s worst nightmare. Our baby should be alive," cited by The Independent.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office confirmed that an autopsy has been completed, and the child’s body has been released to his family.
His official cause of death is still pending.
KJ’s funeral is scheduled for Saturday, August 2.
Our thoughts are with KJ's loved ones at this time.