A child protection service worker in Alabama has been arrested following the death of a 3-year-old boy who was left in a car for several hours while suffering a high fever of 108 degrees.
Kera Stanford, a 54-year-old employee in human resources, was charged in connection with the tragic incident that occurred on July 22nd.
On the day of the incident, Stanford was responsible for transporting the boy, Ketorius Starks Jr., to a supervised visit with his biological father.
Authorities report that Stanford had picked up Ketorius from daycare after he had been dropped off with his temporary foster parents before the scheduled visit.
Instead of returning the child to daycare after the visit, it appears that Stanford ran various errands, including stopping at grocery and cigarette stores. This was likely not the best decision.
Afterward, she drove to her home and left Ketorius in the car with the windows closed.
The little boy was found unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene.
Stanford was taken into custody at Jefferson County Jail under the state’s Amiya White Act and was released later that day on a $30,000 bail.
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office expressed their dismay, stating, “It’s a terrible tragedy that was completely avoidable and unnecessary.”
Details regarding how long Ketorius had been with his foster parents, or the reasons for his removal from his biological parents, were not immediately available.
The visit with his father was part of a court-ordered process aimed at reuniting families.
His father shared his grief, expressing to KBTX, “Words can’t even express what I feel right now. As soon as I leave my son, the first thing he says is, ‘Daddy, I want to go with you.’ He says it every time and it really hurts.”
In light of this incident, Stanford has been terminated from her position. The agency involved stated, “The provider has terminated the employee. Due to confidentiality, DHR cannot further comment on the identity of the child or the exact situation.”
