An Alabama woman charged in last month’s hot-car death of a 3-year-old boy failed to appear in court on Monday.
A report by WBRC highlighted that Kela Stanford, released on a $30,000 bail, failed to appear for her initial court hearing. Stanford, 54, worked as a transport driver for The Covenant Services, a contractor for the Department of Human Resources, when she allegedly left Ke’Torrius Starkes Jr. in a vehicle for five hours on July 22.
Stanford is accused of leaving Starkes in the car after picking him up from daycare for a supervised visit with his father at a DHR building in Bessemer. Instead of returning him to daycare, Stanford reportedly picked up food for her family and stopped for tobacco. She then allegedly went home, leaving the toddler in the car.
Starkes was discovered unresponsive in the car after his foster mother called looking for him.
In a recorded call shared by Starkes’ biological father, Stanford allegedly claimed she got “sidetracked” and left his son in the car.
“I received a call that there was no case, and I thought to myself, ‘I’m done for the day, I can go home,'” she explained. “Rather than going back to the daycare, I went home. And I forgot he was in the backseat. I am truly sorry.”
Stanford was charged days later with leaving a child unattended in a vehicle. WBRC noted that a follow-up hearing is set for next month. Should Stanford fail to attend, an arrest warrant will be issued.
[Feature Photo: Birmingham Police; Facebook]
