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HURRICANE, Washington County — A 4-year-old boy who was originally reported missing and was later found dead inside his house died after apparently becoming stuck in a toy box, Hurricane police confirmed Wednesday.
On Sunday, Kache Wallis was reported as missing. He was last seen by his grandmother who had put him to bed the night before. The next morning, Kache was not in his bed and could not be found in or around the house, according to a statement from police.
Family and friends searched for Kache and then called police when they could not find him. Officers also did not find Kache during an initial search of the house. The public was asked to be on the lookout for the boy and surrounding agencies assisted in the search efforts.
"During the course of the investigation it was decided that yet another search of the home should be conducted," police said. "It was at this time that detectives located Kache inside of a small toy chest in his bedroom."
The Utah State Medical Examiner's Office determined that Kache's death was accidental caused by "positional asphyxiation," according to police.
A Facebook post from a woman identifying herself as a family member says the toy chest "was very small and he wedged himself in there sometime during the night and it locked. It was truly an accident."
Alisha Svendson stated that Kache was stuck in a tight position so that his chin was near his chest. She said the family had no idea prior to the tragedy that the toy box automatically locked when the lid closed and the family did not initially think to look inside it.
"I suggest anyone with something like this remove the lid remove the latches or just get rid of it all together. No one would have imagined to even begin looking there," Svendson posted.
Several family members have started GoFundMe campaigns* for funeral expenses, including Svendson's family.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
