Authorities are investigating after a 10-year-old boy living in foster care in Northwest Indiana died last week, officials said.
According to police, Porter County Sheriff's officers and paramedics were dispatched just after 2:35 p.m. on April 25 to a residence in the 200 block of Falcon Way for a reported medical emergency.
Officials said upon arrival, emergency medical services transported the boy to a local hospital for treatment, where he later was pronounced dead. The boy has been identified as Dakota Stevens.
A statement from the Indiana Department of Child Services confirmed the agency was investigating.
"Our entire staff is heartbroken by this news. DCS works with stakeholders and partners across the state to investigate the death of a child any time there is suspected abuse or neglect and will take the appropriate action. DCS foster parents must complete intensive training and education to achieve licensure. Licensure is reexamined each year to ensure the foster family continues to meet DCS requirements, including additional training each year to maintain this license. DCS policy also addresses termination of licensure, which includes circumstances where a foster parent or member of the household has been substantiated for abuse or neglect," the statement read in part.
Hayden Hetzel, the boy's former foster father, remembered Dakota's legacy in an emotional Facebook post.
"Thank you for the laughs, the cries, the sleepless nights, the endless memories.. your excitement & passion for anything that you did & put your mind too AMAZED me," Hetzel's Facebook post read in part.
Local
Hetzel said that Dakota had dreams of becoming a firefighter or police officer, loved listening to Katy Perry and had a love for chicken nuggets and pizza.
It's currently unknown if the boy had suffered from any medical conditions or if foul play was suspected. There is currently no further information available.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
