Minutes after a 10-year-old boy asked a neighbor to adopt him, claiming his foster parents were abusing him, he was found at home without a pulse, Indiana officials reported. The boy’s foster mother, Jennifer Lee Wilson, is now accused of killing him, and a warrant has been issued for her arrest as of July 12, court records show. This comes more than two months after authorities say Wilson killed Dakota Levi Stevens by lying on top of him, according to CBS News.
Authorities responded to the Valparaiso home on the afternoon of April 25 and found Dakota unconscious, without a pulse, and not breathing, according to documents obtained by the station. Just 30 minutes before first responders arrived, Dakota had been at a neighbor’s home, pleading for her to adopt him. He told the neighbor his foster parents hit him and wouldn’t speak to his caseworker, investigators said, as reported by WGN.
Dakota had been placed with the Wilson family less than a month before his death, and there were already three other children in the home who Wilson and her husband had adopted. Wilson noticed Dakota wasn’t at home, went looking for him, and found him talking to the neighbor. Dakota initially refused to get into the car with her and asked the neighbor to call the police. Wilson, however, told the neighbor she didn’t understand the situation and needed to stay out of it. Eventually, Wilson brought Dakota back home, but he quickly tried to run away, officials said.
In view of their doorbell camera, Wilson was seen getting on top of Dakota to stop him from leaving. After several minutes, she got up and saw Dakota was not moving. She began screaming his name and attempted CPR. The doorbell camera captured the struggle, showing that at one point, Wilson laid on Dakota for nearly seven minutes, the station reported. Dakota was taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead two days later as a result of asphyxia, according to WGN.
Wilson is facing a charge of reckless homicide, according to recently filed court documents. Her bond is set at $20,000. This tragic incident has raised serious questions about the foster care system and the safety of children placed in foster homes. The community mourns the loss of Dakota Levi Stevens, a young boy who sought help too late.