A 3-year-old boy in Birmingham, Alabama, died on Tuesday, July 22, after being left inside a hot car for hours by a worker contracted by the state’s Department of Human Resources (DHR).
The child, Ke’Torrius Starks Jr., known as “KJ,” had been placed in temporary foster care under the supervision of Alabama DHR. According to local reports, the worker picked up KJ from daycare around 9:00 a.m. for a court-ordered supervised visit with his biological father, which ended around 11:30 a.m. Instead of returning the child to daycare, the worker allegedly made multiple personal stops—including picking up food and shopping at a tobacco store—before going home and leaving KJ inside the vehicle.
KJ remained inside the parked car for approximately five hours, as outdoor temperatures soared past 100°F. He was found unresponsive around 5:30 p.m. and pronounced dead at 6:03 p.m., according to local NBC affiliate WVTM13. Investigators estimate the temperature inside the car likely exceeded 150°F.
“This is a parent’s worst nightmare. Our baby should be alive,” KJ’s parents said in a statement released by their attorney, Courtney French. French called the incident “a heartbreaking and preventable tragedy.”
The DHR confirmed that the child was in state custody and was being transported by a contracted employee through The Covenant Services, Inc., at the time of the incident. That employee has since been terminated. Citing confidentiality laws, DHR said it could not disclose further details about the child or the exact circumstances surrounding his death.
French told ABC 33/40 that the worker’s actions represented a gross failure of duty. “Instead of prioritizing the safety of the child, she chose to run errands and left him to die in a sweltering car,” French said.
Tuesday was designated a “First Warning Impact Day” by local meteorologists due to extreme heat, with a heat index reaching 108°F.
Authorities have not yet confirmed if criminal charges will be filed. PEOPLE has reached out to Alabama DHR, the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, and Petway French Ford, the family’s legal team, for additional comment.
