Tragic End for Four-Year-Old Burn Victim in St. James

St James, Jamaica: Tragic End for Four-Year-Old Burn Victim – Investigators from the Area One Child Protection and Family Services Agency are intensifying their probe into whether charges of child neglect should be brought following the death of a four-year-old girl who succumbed to burn injuries at the Falmouth Hospital. The girl, Laveka Hill from Bruck Heart in Richmond Hill, St. James, passed away last Thursday, June 6, after spending over two months in the Intensive Care Unit.

The incident occurred in April, when, shortly after 12:00 noon, a male resident of Bruck Heart Lane heard the child crying and found her running with her body on fire. He raised an alarm, prompting other community members to rush to her aid and douse her with buckets of water to extinguish the flames.

Laveka was initially rushed to the Cornwall Regional Hospital, where she was treated for severe burns from her chest down. As her condition worsened, she was transferred to the Falmouth Hospital, where she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.

Investigations revealed that at the time of the incident, Laveka was left at home with her nine-year-old aunt, her mother’s younger sister. Allegedly, the nine-year-old was attempting to start a wood fire and accidentally ignited Laveka while pouring gasoline on the sticks. The gasoline caught fire when they used a lighter to ignite the flames.

The Child Development Agency has visited the family home and questioned the child’s mother, grandmother, and step-grandfather as part of the ongoing investigation.

Featured Image via Popeyes News link