Police probe death of 4-year-old boy in foster care

BOSTON (AP) -- Authorities are investigating the death of a 4-year-old boy who was living in a foster home in the city's Dorchester neighborhood.

Investigators were awaiting the results of an autopsy on Dontel Jeffers, who died Sunday afternoon at Boston's Carney Hospital. Homicide detectives were called to the hospital after the boy went into cardiac arrest, police spokesman John Boyle said.

Department of Social Services Commissioner Harry Spence said his agency is investigating whether an accident on Saturday caused the boy's death, but he declined to give details, other than to say an adult was supervising Jeffers at the time of the accident.

"What we're going to be doing is assembling all the facts rather than dribbling out little bits and pieces," Spence said.

On Sunday, his foster mother noticed that Dontel was unresponsive and alerted authorities, Spence said. The boy appeared to be "physically in good health" before the accident.

"This is not a case where we're looking to see if a pre-existing medical condition was a cause of the death," Spence said.

Dontel has been in the department's custody for three months. He was in a group care setting until being placed in the home on Ballou Street in Dorchester on Feb. 24.

DSS notified Dontel's biological mother of his death on Sunday, according to Spence, who didn't release the woman's name.

"We're working with her today to provide her support," he added.

An autopsy was scheduled for Tuesday, said Suffolk County district attorney spokesman David Procopio.

"It's a death investigation," he said. "The results of that (autopsy) will determine whether a criminal investigation is necessary. Boston police officers and detectives are conducting interviews that will also contribute to determining what happened to this child."

Jeffers' biological family alleged that the boy had shown signs of physical abuse while in foster care, according to Spence. He declined to elaborate on those claims or discuss why Dontel had been taken from his mother's home.

"The question of abuse has arisen. It's been raised by the (biological) family," he said. "On the other hand, it may be completely untrue. There may have been nothing of that kind."

Phillipa Jeffers, Dontel's aunt, said DSS failed to notify the biological family that the boy had left the group home and been placed with the foster mother.

"This system is not fair. This is really madness. DSS is flawed. They gave us a hard time," said Jeffers, whose brother is Dontel's father.

Dontel was matched with his foster mother by Massachusetts Mentor, a private DSS contractor.

The foster mother was providing Dontel with "therapeutic" care, which Spence said it reserved for kids who need more individual attention than other foster children.

"The company in this case is a very reputable one," Spence said of Mentor. "It provides foster families to states all over the country."

Mentor director Paul Cataldo declined to be interviewed, but issued a statement in which he expressed his condolences for Dontel's family.

"As a human services organization dedicated to helping children, we care deeply about those we serve and strive every day to ensure their safety and well-being," he said in the statement.

Phillipa Jeffers said Dontel's father, Ellery Jeffers, was recently jailed but has been released and is now in the Caribbean. According to court records, he had completed a sentence for a drug conviction and is facing a separate assault and battery charge.

Dontel also has a sister, who is living in a different foster home, according to Spence.