A 3-year-old Alabama boy died after being left for hours in a hot car while under state custody, raising urgent questions about child welfare and oversight. The boy, Ke'Torrius "KJ" Starkes Jr., was left in the vehicle in Birmingham on Tuesday while under the care of a contractor working for the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), according to officials and the child's family. Temperatures hovered in the mid-90s that day, with the heat index climbing over 100 degrees, per CNN. A lawyer representing KJ's parents tells ABC 33/40 the temperature inside the vehicle likely exceeded 150 degrees.
KJ was in temporary foster care, according to the lawyer. He was picked up from daycare by a DHR-contracted employee for a supervised visit with his father around 9am. The visit ended before noon, but instead of returning him to daycare, the worker reportedly ran personal errands with KJ still in the car. According to the family's attorney, the employee parked at her home around 12:30pm, left KJ buckled in the backseat with the windows up and engine off, and didn't realize he was still in the vehicle until day care staff contacted her after 5:30pm. Emergency services were called, but KJ was pronounced dead at 6:03pm.
Family members describe KJ as a bright, joyful boy who loved learning and brought energy to every room. His death is the first hot-car fatality in Alabama this year and at least the 16th such incident in the US in 2025, according to Kids and Car Safety. The DHR said the incident happened while KJ was in their custody and transported by a contract provider— identified as The Covenant Services, Inc.—which has since fired the employee. The Birmingham Police Department is investigating. The family's attorney maintains the tragedy would not have occurred if KJ had been with his parents.
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