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Alabama DHR Contractor Arrested Under Amiyah White Act in Foster Child’s Hot Car Death

The arrest follows revelations that gross negligence locked a foster child in a hot car for five hours, leading community leaders to demand transparent transport policies.

Overview

  • On August 1, Jefferson County prosecutors charged 54-year-old Kela Stanford with a Class B felony under the Amiyah White Act for leaving foster child Ke’Torrius “KJ” Starkes Jr. unattended in her vehicle.
  • Stanford posted a $30,000 bond and was released, and her contract with provider The Covenant Services was terminated by the Alabama Department of Human Resources.
  • Chief Deputy Coroner Bill Yates reported that KJ remained locked in a car with the windows up from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. before being pronounced dead at 6:03 p.m.
  • Enacted in 2013 after a similar tragedy, the Amiyah White Act makes leaving children under age 7 unattended in vehicles a Class B felony punishable by two to 20 years in prison when serious injury results.
  • More than 100 community members and lawmakers held a candlelight vigil in Bessemer and are calling for accountability and stricter oversight of state child transport protocols.