Birmingham police have arrested Kela Stanford, 39, in connection with last month’s heat-related death of Ke’Torrius “K.J.” Starkes Jr.
Ke’Torrius was a 3-year-old foster child who was allegedly left inside a parked vehicle for approximately five hours on July 22 as outside temperatures topped 100°F.
Felony Charge Under Alabama’s “Hot Car” Law
Stanford, a private contractor hired by the Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) to transport children in state care, faces one felony count of “leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle in a manner that creates an unreasonable risk of injury or harm.”
The statute, adopted in 2019 after a string of heat-stroke deaths, elevates unattended-vehicle incidents involving children or incapacitated adults to felony status when serious injury or death occurs.
If convicted, Stanford could face up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $30,000. She was booked Friday and later released on a $75,000 bond pending arraignment in Jefferson County Circuit Court.
Timeline of the Incident
- 11:30 a.m. — Stanford allegedly picked up Ke’Torrius from a supervised parental-visitation site for routine transport to his daycare.
- ~12:00 p.m. — Investigators believe the child was left in the rear seat of the contractor’s SUV and the vehicle remained parked outside a Birmingham residence.
- 5:00 p.m. — Stanford discovered Ke’Torrius unresponsive and called 9-1-1; EMTs pronounced him dead at the scene. The heat index in Birmingham that day peaked at 104 °F.
Birmingham Police Sgt. Laquitta Wade told NBC News the death appears to be accidental but constitutes criminal negligence under state law.
“The contractor simply forgot the child was in the vehicle,” Wade said.
Legal Fallout for Alabama’s Child-Welfare System
Ke’Torrius had been placed in temporary foster care earlier this year. Family attorney Courtney French, who represents the boy’s biological parents, said the family is weighing civil action against both the contractor and DHR.
“Had he been with his parents, nothing like this would have ever occurred,” French told PEOPLE, calling the death “a systemic failure.”
Child-advocacy groups are pressing state lawmakers to tighten oversight of third-party transport vendors, noting that contractors often shuttle foster children to medical appointments, parental visits, and daycare without electronic child-tracking protocols.
National Context: Heat-Stroke Deaths in Vehicles
According to the nonprofit Kids and Car Safety, the United States averages 38 hot-car deaths annually; at least seven have occurred so far in 2025. Alabama is one of 22 states that criminalize leaving a minor unattended in a vehicle, but critics say enforcement lags behind.
Next Steps
- Court Date: Stanford is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on August 22.
- Internal Review: DHR confirmed it has opened an internal investigation into contractor compliance and training.
- Legislative Briefing: State Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison (D-Jefferson) has requested a joint committee hearing on foster-care transport standards.
As summer temperatures climb, authorities continue to urge parents and caregivers to employ “Look Before You Lock” safeguards and GPS-based child-alarm systems.
Meanwhile, Ke’Torrius Starkes Jr.’s family is planning a memorial service, saying they hope their son’s death will prompt reforms that protect other children in Alabama’s care.
