JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Nearly four years have passed since the tragic death of a 4-year-old boy in Jacksonville.
James Reese Jr. would have turned 8 on Sunday, and his mother fondly remembers him as a child who loved “Paw Patrol,” enjoyed riding his bike, and was always dancing.
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“He was always was a happy baby,” James’s mother, Karissa Garcia, said. “We miss him a lot.”
James’s foster parents, Alex Pino and Michelle Sipko, have been charged in connection with his death.
In 2021, Pino was arrested and faces charges of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, while Michelle Sipko was charged with manslaughter and child neglect.
The charges stem from allegations that James was thrown into a tub and hit.
Both trials are in the pretrial phase, and Garcia says she expects them to begin sometime in April.
On what would have been his 8th birthday, James' family gathered to sing “Happy Birthday” to their beloved son and brother. They described him as a child who always had a smile on his face and expressed how difficult the past four years have been.
Despite the challenges, they are determined to keep his memory alive.