On July 22, 2025, a heartbreaking incident claimed the life of 3-year-old Ke’Torrius “K.J.” Starkes Jr., a foster child from Bessemer, Alabama. The toddler was found unresponsive inside a hot car parked on the 1500 block of Pine Tree Drive in Birmingham, having been left unattended for approximately five hours. The vehicle’s windows were rolled up, and the engine was off, with temperatures that day reaching triple digits, creating deadly conditions.
Kela Stanford, a 54-year-old transport contractor employed by Covenant Services, a third-party agency contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR), was responsible for transporting K.J. The child, who was in temporary foster care, had been picked up from daycare around 9:00 a.m. for a supervised visit with his biological father at a DHR office in Bessemer, which ended around 11:30 a.m. Instead of returning K.J. to daycare, Stanford reportedly made personal stops to pick up food for her family and visit a tobacco store. She then returned to her home, where she parked in the driveway and forgot K.J. was in the back seat. The child was discovered around 5:30 p.m. after the foster parent contacted Stanford, but he was pronounced dead at 6:03 p.m. by Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service.
Stanford was arrested on Friday, August 1, 2025, and charged with a Class B felony under Alabama’s Amiyah White Act, which prohibits leaving a child under seven or an incapacitated person unattended in a motor vehicle in a manner that creates an unreasonable risk of injury or harm. If convicted, Stanford faces up to 20 years in prison. She was booked into Jefferson County Jail and released after posting a $30,000 bond. Birmingham police have stated the incident appears to have been accidental, with Stanford reportedly admitting she “got sidetracked” and forgot K.J. was in the vehicle. In a recorded phone call shared by the family’s attorney, Courtney French, Stanford apologized to K.J.’s father, expressing deep remorse but stating she did not intend to harm the child.
K.J.’s death marks Alabama’s first hot car fatality of 2025 and the 16th nationwide, according to Kids and Car Safety, a nonprofit focused on preventing such tragedies. The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, led by Danny Carr, called the incident a “terrible tragedy that was completely avoidable and unnecessary,” extending condolences to K.J.’s family. The family, devastated by the loss, has criticized DHR’s oversight, with their attorney asserting that K.J. would still be alive if he had been with his parents. A press conference was held on August 1 by French, Alabama State Representative Patrick Sellers, and K.J.’s aunt, Brittany Johnson, to address the incident and demand accountability.
The Alabama DHR confirmed K.J. was in their custody at the time and stated that the contractor involved has been fired by Covenant Services. The family’s attorney has called for stricter measures, including rigorous vetting, mandatory safety training, and real-time GPS tracking for child transport to prevent future tragedies. A candlelight vigil for K.J. was held, and his funeral took place the following day, as the community mourns the loss of a “bright little child.”