Alabama – An Alabama chiId died after being left in a vehicIe for several hours, and now his family seeks answers and wants the empIoyee responsible to face IegaI consequences. The 3-year-old child, Ketorius, died after a Department of Human Resources employee forgot him inside a vehicIe amid searing summer heat.
Last week, the tragic incident occurred after the little boy was left alone in the vehicIe for five hours. The child had been in the custody of the Alabama Department of Human Resources and was under the care of a contracted employee. Following a scheduled supervised visit with his bioIogical father, the worker failed to return the child to his daycare and instead ran personal errands, ultimately leaving him unattended in the vehicle. Temperatures that day reached the mid-90s, with a heat index exceeding one hundred degrees, causing the interior of the vehicIe to become dangerously hot.
The foster famiIy, who had dropped the child off at daycare that morning, was unaware of his whereabouts when they arrived to pick him up later in the day. It was only after an investigation that authorities discovered the child’s lifeless body inside the vehicle parked at a home in Alabama.
In response to the incident, the DHR terminated the contract employee involved and stated that due to confidentiality regulations, they could not disclose further details about the child or the circumstances surrounding his death . The Coroner’s Office confirmed that the child was pronounced dead at 6:03 p.m., approximately five hours after being left in the car.
The biological family expressed profound grief and disbelief over the loss. The child’s father, described his son as a smart, brilliant, bright little child, emphasizing his respectful nature. He recalled that during their last interaction, the child had expressed a desire to go home with him, a moment that now haunts him deeply . The family has since hired legal representation to seek accountability and ensure such a tragedy does not occur again.
The foster family also mourned the loss, recalling recent joyful moments spent with the boy, including visits to theme parks and swimming pools. They had been eagerly anticipating his growth and integration into their family, making the sudden loss even more devastating.