A tragic event occurred shortly after a grandmother shared a heartfelt photo of her newborn grandson, expressing her pride and joy.
The grandparents of a newborn who tragically died after being left in a moving truck in Illinois had pleaded with their daughter to leave the child with them just hours before the infant was discovered deceased.
Tonya Luncsford, the proud grandmother, had shared a joyful photo of baby Grayson on her Facebook account on September 9, beaming with happiness. Tragically, just a week later, on September 16, the newborn was found dead from ‘hyperthermia, severe dehydration, and gross neglect,’ authorities reported. The infant had been left for at least four hours in a U-Haul truck rented by his mother, Andrea Luncsford.
The mother, a 26-year-old OnlyFans model from Peoria, had been driving the vehicle for days following the funeral of Grayson’s father on September 14, according to 25 News.
Grayson’s grandfather, concerned for the child’s safety, had expressed his fears, saying, “You know that baby can overheat and die, please let us help you, from dad to mom,” in a text to his daughter, as reported by Fox 2 News.
Grandfather Andrew Luncsford tracked his daughter to a residence in Peoria’s East Bluff, where he discovered his grandson unconscious and not breathing inside the truck on the night of September 9. He immediately contacted emergency responders, who found Grayson lying in the yard. Despite their efforts to revive him, the infant was declared dead at the scene.
Upon the police’s arrival, they observed Grayson’s mother acting ‘erratically’ and later testing positive for cocaine. Andrew reported that his daughter had ignored his previous messages and only informed him that the baby had stopped breathing when he arrived. He also stated that she attempted to drive away before they could remove the child from the vehicle.
The mother, with a criminal record dating back to 2019, was taken into custody on suspicion of endangering Grayson. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services had already been in contact with her on September 6 regarding concerns about ‘substantial risk of physical injury or environment,’ according to spokesperson Deborah Lopez.
The mother had initially shared her joy over the birth of her 6lb, 11oz son on August 4, posting celebratory photos on her Facebook page. Grayson’s father, Michael Eastwood Jr., 26, also highlighted their son’s milestones with photos as Grayson marked his first month on September 4.
Two days after Grayson’s father, Michael Eastwood Jr., passed away under unexplained circumstances at Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago, the tragedy surrounding his son began to unfold.
On September 7, Andrea posted a heartfelt tribute to Michael, expressing her grief: “I can’t believe you’re gone Michael. My heart is hurting so bad. We miss you so much. I can’t keep myself together. We need you. God. We need you.”
Three days after Grayson’s death, his mother was arrested on suspicion of murder while Grayson was found wearing the same clothes from his father’s funeral. An autopsy revealed that Grayson may have been deceased for up to 24 hours before being removed from the truck, which lacked ventilation or air conditioning.
Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood stated that Grayson appeared severely malnourished at the time of his death. He emphasized that the infant suffered “gross neglect due to severe hyperthermia and profound dehydration,” underscoring the preventability of such deaths.
Harwood remarked at a press conference, “An infant or child left in a car in this heat will face dire consequences, resulting in preventable deaths due to the lack of air conditioning, ventilation, nutrition, and hydration. Even adults suffer from hyperthermia and dehydration, but the effects are exacerbated in infants due to their smaller body size and greater vulnerability.”
According to NoHeatStroke.org, 33 children have died this year after being left in vehicles, a rise from 29 in the previous year.
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has initiated a second investigation into Grayson’s death.
A spokeswoman stated, “These are active investigations, and we are not able to comment further. We are collaborating with local law enforcement on both inquiries.”
