Alabama Contractor Arrested After Toddler’s Hot-Car Death
An employee contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources has been arrested following the tragic death of three-year-old Ke’Torrius “K.J.” Starkes Jr. K.J. died on July 22, 2025, after being left unattended in a vehicle for several hours in extreme heat. Kela Stanford, the caregiver responsible for K.J. at the time, faces a felony charge for allegedly leaving the child in a hot car. The Birmingham Police Department announced her arrest on Friday.
According to police spokesperson De’Rell Freeman, Kela Stanford was tasked with caring for K.J. during a court-ordered visit with his father. The child was picked up from daycare that morning for the supervised visit, which ended around 11:30 a.m. The family’s attorney, Courtney French, reported that instead of returning K.J. directly to daycare, Stanford engaged in various personal errands while K.J. remained buckled in the back seat of her vehicle.
Stanford reportedly returned home at approximately 12:30 p.m., leaving K.J. “strapped inside the vehicle, with all windows up and the car engine off.” He was unattended for over five hours before the daycare contacted Stanford to inquire about K.J.’s whereabouts. It was only then, according to French, that Stanford realized K.J. was still in the car, prompting her to call 911. The young boy was pronounced dead at 18:03.
Tragic Circumstances and Legal Consequences
On the day of the incident, temperatures reached a staggering 96 degrees Fahrenheit, with heat index values reaching between 101 and 105 degrees, according to meteorologists. The Alabama Department of Human Resources confirmed that Stanford has since been terminated from her position. The charge against her falls under the Amiyah White Act, which prohibits leaving a child or an incapacitated person unattended in a vehicle if it poses an unreasonable risk of harm.
K.J.’s family described the circumstances surrounding his death as “brutal,” expressing their grief over the loss of their “bright little child.” The family has criticized the Alabama Department of Human Resources, although the agency has not yet issued a public statement regarding the arrest.
K.J.’s death marks the first hot car fatality in Alabama for 2025 and is part of a troubling trend, with at least 16 children reported to have died in similar circumstances across the United States this year, according to Amber Rollins, director of Kids and Car Safety, a nonprofit organization focused on preventing such tragedies.
Following her arrest, Kela Stanford was booked at the Jefferson County Jail, where she posted a bond of $30,000. As of now, there is no information available regarding her legal representation. The investigation continues as authorities seek to understand how this incident occurred and what measures can be taken to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
