Authorities investigate death of 5-year-old migrant boy as pastor says parents remain devastated

CHICAGO — Authorities are investigating the death of a 5-year-old boy Sunday who had been staying inside a warehouse on the Lower West Side housing several thousand migrants.

The parents of Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero are devastated, said Matt DeMateo, executive director and pastor at New Life Centers, who is consoling the family and mediating their communication with city officials as the investigation of their son’s death continues.

DeMateo has been by the family’s side since the boy was taken to the hospital Sunday, “and I’m still here,” he told the Tribune.

For migrant advocates, the boy’s death marked the tipping point of the city’s shelter system overflowing with demand. More than 26,000 migrants have come to Chicago over the past 16 months, and advocates say they have been worried