Posted by Samuel on Sat 26th Jul, 2025 - tori.ng
KeTorrius Starkes Jr. was found unresponsive inside the car outside the worker's house in Alabama on Tuesday, July 22, after he had reportedly been left there between 12.30pm and 5.30pm.
A three-year-old boy tragically d!ed after being left in a hot car for five hours by a social services worker, police say.
KeTorrius Starkes Jr. was found unresponsive inside the car outside the worker's house in Alabama on Tuesday, July 22, after he had reportedly been left there between 12.30pm and 5.30pm.
The boy was still in his fastened car seat in the vehicle, which was off and had the windows rolled up, officials said. He was declared de@d about 30 minutes after he was found.
KeTorrius, nicknamed KJ, was in the care of a Department of Human Resources contract worker who was supposed to take him back to day care after a supervised visit with his father, KeTorrius Starkes Sr.
Instead of returning the child to day care, the worker, who has not been identified, stopped at a grocery store and tobacco shop before returning to their house, according to a lawyer hired by Starkes Sr.
"A heartbreaking and preventable tragedy," attorney Courtney French told ABC News.
The employee was terminated after the child's de@th, the Alabama Department of Human Resources said.
"The provider has terminated their employee. Due to confidentiality, DHR cannot comment further regarding the identity of the child or the exact circumstances," the agency said in a statement.
It's not clear why the boy had been living with a temporary foster family.
KJ's family called for the employee to be face further consequences.
His aunt Brittney Johnson said his de@th was caused by neglect.
"I feel personally that he was neglected and that's the true cause of his death," she told Local 12.
The Birmingham Police Department told DailyMail on Friday, July 25, the worker was questioned and is cooperating with the ongoing probe.