Family of 4-year-old found dead behind La. welcome center organizes fundraiser to pay for funeral expenses
Legend Jack was last seen with his mother, Aaliyah Jack, who has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. His 1-old-year brother had been found alive earlier in a ditch by a trucker.
LAKE CHARLES, La. (KADN) — The family of Legend Jack, the 4-year-old found dead behind the Louisiana Welcome Center in Vinton, has organized a fundraiser to pay for funeral expenses.
Dion Polk, the little boy’s paternal grandmother, said he had been in their care for the past few months. She added he was a playful, intelligent 4-year-old who loved Sonic, Ninja Turtles, and Happy Meals.
A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money. The goal is to collect $20,000. CLICK HERE to donate.
Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Stitch Guillory said a child’s body was found in the water at the welcome center on Monday, July 8. According to Sheriff Guillory, his deputies were contacted around 3 p.m. after witnesses saw the body in the water.
As the investigation continued, detectives were able to identify the child as 4-year-old Legend Jack. Detectives were advised the child was last seen on Saturday, with his mother, Aaliyah Jack, 25, of Lake Charles, and his 1-year-old brother.
CPSO continued the search for the 1-year-old child, and Tuesday morning, July 9, around 9 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a call in reference to a passerby observing a baby in a ditch on I-10 East near Mile Marker 10. When deputies arrived, they were able to positively identify the child as the missing 1-year-old.
“This is a tragic incident our detectives are currently investigating,” stated Sheriff Stitch Guillory. “Fortunately, we were able to locate the 1-year-old, who was taken to a local hospital to be checked out. He is now safe and in the care of authorities. We understand the community’s concern and are committed to ensuring justice for the children involved. CPSO detectives are actively working to gather all the information and details surrounding this case and the death of the 4-year-old. We will dedicate all necessary resources to ensure a thorough investigation. Our hearts go out to the family members of these two children.”
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A Texas truck driver is being hailed a hero for saving the baby he spotted crawling near I-10 in Calcasieu Parish.
“As I was going down the highway, I noticed an image to the right over an embankment and I thought maybe it was a doll that someone had thrown out the window,” said Reginald Walton, a driver for DHL Supply Chain. “But as I was passing by, I saw it move and I said ‘that looked like a baby.’”
Walton told News15 he slowed down, pulled over, and called 911.
“So, I got out of my vehicle and walked back down to where I thought I saw the child, and sure enough, there was a little boy sitting down there. He smiled at me and then he stood up and started crying and walked towards me, and once he walked toward me I grabbed his hand and he stopped crying,” explained Walton.
The baby, who deputies believe was on the side of the interstate for two days, was taken to the hospital in remarkably good condition. He was found not far from where his four-year-old brother was found dead Monday.
“It’s definitely the weather that we received from Beryl on Sunday and Monday that was responsible for saving the one-year-old. We had rain bands coming in and we had a lot of clouds covering. So, in Louisiana, this time of year, is not unusual to have, you know, 92- 93-degree temperatures with a heat index of 105-106. The fact that the one-year-old survived on the side of the road for two days with no water and no food… we are thankful that we had the weather that we had. Without the weather that we had, we possibly would have two dead kids,” Sheriff Guillory told The Weather Channel.
The child has been treated for relatively minor injuries and was released into protective custody. Walton noted he feels a bond with the child and hopes he gets updates throughout the years.
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