Police investigating Roxbury toddler’s death

A toddler who was rushed to the hospital Sunday night has died, and police are investigating.

Police have not officially identified the child, but FOX 25 reports the toddler is a 3-year-old boy, and a GoFundMe page identifies him as Kenai Whyte.

Boston police responded to the home at 23 Alpine St. in Roxbury around 9:40 p.m. Sunday after receiving a call for a “trauma incident.” When officers arrived, they found the boy unresponsive and Boston EMS took the child to Boston Medical Center. He died on Tuesday.

Kenai Whyte

Kenai Whyte

According to a FOX25 interview with Ashley Young, who says she is Kenai’s biological mother, said Kenai was visiting with his father, stepmother and younger sister over the weekend when the incident occurred.

On the GoFundMe page, Young says Kenai died after sustaining “trauma to the head and body.”

The Department of Children and Families took custody of the toddler on Monday and also removed his infant sister from the home. The Boston Herald reports a DCF worker had checked on the children at the Alpine Street home on Friday.

The Department of Children and Families, which took custody of the boy on Monday, said it had an open case with the family and that a social worker had called a care provider as recently as Friday, who reported that the boy was “well-fed, clean,” and had “no behavioral issues.”

Andrea Grossman, a DCF spokeswoman, declined to provide further information, including how long DCF has been involved with the family or what prompted officials to open a case.

Police had not released any other details as of Wednesday evening but said the investigation is ongoing and asked anyone with information to call Boston Police homicide detectives at (617) 343-4470.

Anonymous tipsters can call the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or text the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463).

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