Southwest
Venezuelan migrant boy died from sepsis at Chicago warehouse-turned-shelter: autopsy report
A 5-year-old Venezuelan migrant boy who became ill at a migrant shelter in Chicago before Christmas and then passed away died from sepsis and a bacterial infection that causes strep throat, an autopsy released Friday shows.
Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero tragically died on Dec. 17 with a case of Group A Strep, which can cause strep throat and other life-threatening illnesses, according to an autopsy released by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. Sepsis can lead to serious complications in as little as 24 hours.
Martinez was a resident at a warehouse retrofitted as a shelter in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood when he returned to the building with his family and suffered a medical emergency. About 2,300 people had been staying at the Pilsen shelter, near downtown.
Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero, left, who died from sepsis, and candles at his vigil, right. (Matt DeMateo and )
ILLINOIS PUMPING $250M MORE IN TAXPAYER FUNDS TO HELP ILLEGAL MIGRANTS IN CHICAGO
Despite immediate first aid by shelter staff, which included chest compressions, Martinez Rivero died at Comer Children’s Hospital, according to FOX 32. Contributing factors in his death were listed as COVID-19, adenovirus and rhinovirus.
Martinez came from Venezuela to Chicago with his family about a month before he died, according to ABC7.
The boy’s death revived concerns about conditions at shelters and questions about how Chicago was responding to an influx of people unaccustomed to the city’s cold winters and with few local contacts. Chicago and other northern U.S. cities have struggled to find housing for tens of thousands of asylum-seekers, many of whom have been bused from Texas throughout the last year.
At the time of his death, the space had about 10 isolation rooms for when people get sick, Dr. Evelyn Figueroa told Fox 32.
“These are hard environments for people to rest and feel good and be able to take care of themselves,” said Figueroa, who toured the building and runs a nearby food pantry and has spent most of her medical career working with homeless, immigrant and low-income populations.
A woman and child get emotional while attending a vigil for 5-year-old Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero, who died at a shelter in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson released a statement early Saturday expressing his condolences.
This is a tragic loss, and we appreciate the work of community partners supporting the Martínez Rivero family during this difficult time,” Johnson said.
“The City of Chicago coordinates medical screenings for all shelter residents, weekly on-site provider support, on-site vaccination events for COVID, varicella, and flu, and partnerships with a network of community health centers for other healthcare needs.”
“All shelter residents are offered comprehensive medical examinations and care.”
More than 35,000 migrants have been transported to Chicago and its suburbs over the past year and a half. Despite this influx, recent data from the city indicates a decline in the number of migrants staying at shelters, with figures dropping to their lowest point in months, according to Fox 32 Chicago.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has been in his role for just seven months now. On Monday, Johnson blasted a reporter for asking about how he plans to address the migrant crisis in his city.
Earlier this month, hundreds of asylum-seekers still awaited placement at airports and police stations in Chicago, some of them still camped on sidewalks outside precinct buildings.
As of Tuesday, the number of migrants in shelters has fallen below 13,000, marking a decrease from peaks observed in mid and early January, when the count reached nearly 15,000.
The autopsy report comes just days after the state of Illinois and Cook County announced plans to allocate up to an additional $252 million to house, feed and provide other services to illegal immigrants arriving in Chicago this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Los Angeles, Ca
Woman ambushed, violently attacked by robber in downtown Long Beach
A woman was hospitalized with serious injuries after she was violently attacked by a robber in downtown Long Beach. On June 18, Jennifer Silva, 34, was attending a World Cup watch party at a Hooters restaurant at 90 Aquarium Way. After the game ended, she left the restaurant just before 11 p.m. As she walked […]
Los Angeles, Ca
Jury says it is deadlocked in trial of man accused in Palisades Fire
Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
Los Angeles, Ca
Boyle Heights warehouse cleanup begins as crews face 85 million pounds of spoiled food
Cleanup efforts are underway Thursday at the Boyle Heights cold-storage warehouse that burned for eight days after firefighters officially declared the massive blaze knocked down Wednesday evening. Los Angeles Fire Department crews remain at the Lineage warehouse near Union Pacific Avenue and South La Puente Street as they transition into the overhaul phase, searching for […]
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