Boy, 9, Declared Brain Dead After Fall on Stairs at Chicago's Clinton Green Line Station; No Arrests Yet
Elijah Flores was critically injured eight days before this report when a fight at the Near West Side CTA stop sent him and an adult companion tumbling down a stairway, and police have still made no arrest.
By Ken Adams ·
A 9-year-old boy hurt in a fall at the CTA's Clinton Green Line station on the Near West Side has been declared brain dead, and Chicago police have yet to take anyone into custody eight days after the incident, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The boy, Elijah Flores, was injured around 11:15 a.m. Surveillance video shows him stepping off a Green Line train with Jonah Soria, 22. Soria was in an argument with two other men, according to the footage and a police report.
The dispute turned physical, and the two men chased Soria and the child as they ran from the platform. Police said Soria picked Elijah up "as he was not keeping up."
As the pair headed down the stairs, one of the men struck Soria in the back with an object, according to police. Soria and Elijah fell down the flight, and Soria landed on top of the boy. Elijah was knocked unconscious and suffered a skull fracture, the police report states.
Earlier this week, Elijah was declared brain dead. His family has agreed to donate his organs.
Two GoFundMe campaigns have been launched to help cover medical and funeral costs. One page describes Elijah as a boy who was "excited to start a new school year, full of dreams and innocence." It says he suffered life-threatening head and brain injuries and that his organ donation will give others a chance to live. It also describes his mother, Esmeralda Lopez, as a devoted parent who is heartbroken and now facing both grief and financial strain.
The first fundraiser has collected more than half of its $11,000 goal. The second, with a $14,000 goal, has raised a little over $700. That second campaign was organized by Brandi Miller, the fiancee of Elijah's father. It credits doctors at Lurie Children's Hospital with doing everything possible to save him before his medical team declared him brain dead. It says he "will be honored through a hero walk as he becomes a real-life superhero and saves the lives of many via organ donation."
The family declined to comment. In a statement, the CTA offered its deepest condolences to Elijah's family and said it continues to give the Chicago Police Department its "full and complete support" as officers investigate.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
