Documents: Toddler lived with guns, drugs, violence
LARGO (FOX 13) - The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has released hundreds of pages of documents, detailing the dangerous environment in which investigators say little Jordan Belliveau lived with his mother, Cherisse Stinson.
The information in the documents is likely the basis for why Jordan was placed in the foster system in January of 2017 when he was 4 months old.
The sheriff’s office began to look into Jordan’s living conditions after an allegation that there was no food in the home and that the home was filthy. Investigators wrote that his father, also named Jordan, is known to belong to a gang. They found that little Jordan was living with guns and drugs.
On one occasion, deputies wrote Jordan’s mother was holding the little boy when she got into a fight at a Burger King. He was hit in the face by a punch that was intended for his mom, investigators said.
The documents say the parents knowingly allowed Jordan to live in such a dangerous environment.
Meanwhile, Jordan’s former foster parents, Sam and Juliet Warren, are devastated by his death.
The Warrens cared for Jordan for nearly three-quarters of his life -- about 18 months. They had hoped to adopt him, but say a court order required Jordan be returned to his biological mother, Cherisse Stinson.
The 2-year-old was returned to his mother’s care in May of 2018. Four months later, Stinson is accused of his murder.
They also said promises that Jordan would be cared for were broken, but they didn't say by whom.
It was revealed by police Wednesday that Jordan and his mother were visited by caseworkers from Directions for Living, which helps homeless or near-homeless residents in Pinellas County, the day before he was reported missing.
Family members said Stinson was unemployed and facing eviction. Another visit was scheduled for Wednesday to evaluate Stinson's home.
The documents were released by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, which is generally the initial investigator. PCSO deputies have the power to remove a child from a home. Additional documents from a Department of Children and Families contractor, which oversees foster care and DCF itself, have not yet been released.
Each agency did release a statement saying how devastated they are by Jordan's death.