Venezuelan boy who fell ill at Chicago immigrant shelter died of sepsis, autopsy reveals

A 5-year-old Venezuelan boy who died in December after falling ill at a temporary immigrant shelter in Chicago was caused by sepsis and a bacterial infection that causes strep throat, autopsy results released Friday showed.

Jean Carlos Martinez died on Dec. 17 of sepsis caused by a Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection, which can cause strep throat and Other serious illnesses.

Other factors that contributed to his death included COVID-19, adenovirus and rhinovirus, according to the autopsy.

The boy was living in a warehouse-turned-shelter in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood where he suffered a medical emergency, the city reported. He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital.

The boy’s death has reignited concerns about shelter conditions and how Chicago handles the arrival of people unaccustomed to the city’s cold winters and with few local contacts.

Chicago and other cities in the northern United States have struggled to accommodate tens of thousands of asylum seekers, many of whom have been bused in from Texas over the past year. Weeks ago, hundreds of asylum seekers were still awaiting housing assignments at Chicago airports and police stations, with some still camping on sidewalks in front of police buildings.