According to police, the death of an Alabama toddler who was left inside a hot car for hours was “forgotten” by a state contractor.
Ke’Torrius Starkes Jr., of Birmingham, Ala., was in foster care at the time of his death and was being “transported” to a visit with his father by a Department of Human Resources contractor, according to PEOPLE.
He was allegedly left in a car for five hours in the afternoon in Alabama, where temperatures reached triple digits, according to WVTM13.
Birmingham police Sgt. Laquitta Wade told NBC News that the incident was accidental.
“At this time, the only thing I can say is that we believe it [the child’s death] was accidental,” Wade told NBC News, explaining that a contractor had “forgotten that the child was in the vehicle.”
Police previously told PEOPLE that the contractor, who has since been fired, has cooperated in the investigation.
Wade also informed the outlet that any charging decisions would be made by prosecutors.
Courtney French, Ke’Torrius’ family lawyer, told PEOPLE that if he had been with his parents, “nothing like this would have happened.”
French told PEOPLE that a DHR contractor was transporting Ke’Torrius, who was in temporary foster care, to his daycare around 11:30 a.m. following a supervised visit with his biological father.
However, the woman then allegedly left him in the car and went shopping for her family, French said. Once the DHR contractor returned to their own residence, she allegedly left Ke’Torrius in the car for five hours.
“This is a parent’s worst nightmare. Our baby should be alive,” the child’s parents said in a statement through French, per the outlet.
DHR previously told AL.com that the contract provider has since terminated the employee.
