Toddler found dead in oven, hearing reveals

A toddler found dead had been in an oven in the kitchen of the family’s Houston apartment, a child welfare official told a judge Wednesday during a custody hearing for the child’s three siblings.

J’zyra Thompson and her siblings were left unattended at their home at Angel Ridge Apartments at 8600 Sterlingshire. When their mother and her boyfriend returned about 12:10 a.m. Tuesday, the three older children were pointing toward the oven, which was toppled over in some way, a Child Protective Services official said.

The boyfriend, “picked up the oven and the child fell out,” the representative said. The 19-monthold was dead and had been severely burned.

Authorities then arrived at the home in northeast Houston, and CPS took custody of the three other children.

At the emergency custody hearing, Judge Glenn H. Delvin allowed the siblings — two 3-year-olds and a 5-year-old — to remain in foster care.

Amy Strickling, assistant county attorney representing the Department of Family and Protective Services, said the siblings have made statements, but they have been inconsistent. She said they are working with the children to determine the course of events that led to the toddler’s death and will be providing counseling to them.

“The court found that there was immediate danger to those three children and granted us emergency custody,” Strickling said.

Estella Olguin, a spokeswoman with DFPS, said the adults were gone for at least a couple of hours. The children were asleep when the adults left.

The agency learned during the investigation the mother had previously left the children unattended.

Attorney Ad Litem Mike Craig and CPS representatives appeared before the court. The children’s mother did not attend the hearing. Delvin will reassess custody at a hearing set for Dec. 2.