Family Demands Justice After Social Worker Leaves 3-Year-Old to Die in Hot Car—No Arrest Has Been Made Yet

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The family of 3-year-old Ke Torrius KJ Starks Jr. is knocking on doors to get justice because they believe the child was left alone in a car for a long period on a hot day in Birmingham, Alabama, which resulted in a horrible outcome. Due mostly to the planned monitored visit with his father, KJ was allegedly in temporary foster care when he was picked up by a contracted social worker on July 22 at around 9 a.m.

At 11:30 a.m., everything was resolved, and KJ was then expected to return to daycare. However, according to sources, the social worker was on her way back doing personal work, which included shopping for food and tobacco products before returning home. According to the authorities, she parked her car in Birmingham and went inside, but she neglected to remove KJ from the car.

According to Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Starks, the small youngster was left inside the car, and in the worst scenario, the windows were rolled up between 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. At 6:03 p.m., emergency personnel arrived on the scene and discovered KJ was still buckled up in his car seat and not responding.

“This tragedy is heartbreaking and preventable,” family lawyer Courtney French told ABC33/40. The automobile where KJ was imprisoned probably had an inside temperature of more than 150 degrees given the current harsh weather conditions and the heat index of 108 degrees. In a statement supplied by French, KJ’s parents stated A parent’s biggest dread is this. Our child ought to be living.

After a DHR contractor left a child in the car, the family demands answers.

According to sources, KJ’s father recalled his son as intelligent and energetic. He claimed to know all the animals’ colors and to know how to count. Additionally, The Covenant Services, a commercial contractor hired by the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), fired the responsible social worker as well.

A DHR representative told AL.com that the event happened when a contract provider was transporting a kid in DHR custody. The employee has been let go by the provider. DHR is unable to provide additional information about the child’s identification or the specific circumstances due to confidentiality. But according to KJ’s family, that is insufficient. They emphasized the fact that neglect was the real reason for his [death].

I’m very heartbroken by this. This baby was truly let down by DHR. In this heatpic, no one should be left alone in a hot car, much less a newborn.Twitter: https://HDcmK2EsB2.

Darah July 23, 2025 (@darahalexis)

Although the social worker has been interviewed by the Birmingham Police Department, no formal arrest has been made as of yet. According to Chief Deputy District Attorney Joe L. Roberts, the case is still under investigation and will be brought before the district attorney for possible charges. State legislators, meanwhile, have also expressed their worries about the issue and demanded more research.

My first emotion is one of surprise and perplexity. Why and how did this occur? Rep. Ontario Tillman of Alabama remarked. I’ll look for further details about the circumstances of this unimaginable event.

As the senator for the district where this tragedy occurred and as a mother, I am heartbroken by little KeTorrius Starks Jr.’s passing. Merika Coleman, a state senator from Alabama, stated, “We need answers, and we may need to examine state law to make sure this never happens again.”

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