Olvin Daniel Cabrera Valladares, 13, was found unresponsive at Shenandoah Park after his mother says his shirt caught on a slide screw.
MIAMI — A grieving Miami mother is seeking answers after her 13-year-old son died following an incident inside a playground slide at Shenandoah Park, where she says the boy’s shirt became caught on a protruding screw.
Olvin Daniel Cabrera Valladares was found unresponsive at the park on Sept. 25 and rushed to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. His mother, Estefanía Valladares, said a man who found the boy told her that Olvin was caught on a screw inside the slide. The family said he remained hospitalized before being declared brain-dead Oct. 1.
The account of how Olvin became trapped comes from his family and has not been publicly confirmed as an official finding. Miami authorities have said the incident remains under investigation, and the city has not released a determination explaining exactly what caused the emergency.
Miami Fire Rescue said crews found the child unresponsive at Shenandoah Park and began lifesaving measures before transporting him to the hospital in critical condition. Police investigators examined the playground after the emergency, with video from the scene showing investigators looking inside and outside a slide.
Valladares said the man who discovered her son had gone to the park with his own children. According to her account, the man pulled on Olvin and found that he was caught on a screw before managing to free him. The mother said the boy’s shirt was tight around his neck when he was removed from the slide.
Olvin was a student at Citrus Grove K-8 Center, according to his mother. She described him as her youngest child and said the family has been left devastated by a trip to the neighborhood park that ended in a medical emergency and, days later, his death.
Olvin’s sister, Stephany Valladares, also described the family’s account in an online fundraiser for funeral expenses. She said her brother went to Shenandoah Park to play on Sept. 25 and that his shirt became caught while he was going down the slide. She wrote that another park visitor freed him and began first aid until emergency crews arrived.
City officials closed Shenandoah Park on Sept. 25 while authorities conducted what was described as a non-criminal investigation. Police said at the time that foul play was not suspected. The park reopened to the public the following day.
The reopening has left the family with unresolved questions about the playground equipment and what investigators found. A city spokesperson has said the matter remains under investigation and that the city cannot comment further. It has not been publicly established whether the slide was repaired or altered before the park reopened.
No official investigative report publicly released as of Tuesday has confirmed the family’s account that a screw caused Olvin to become trapped. Authorities also have not announced a final determination on the circumstances surrounding his death. His family is continuing funeral arrangements while awaiting more information about the investigation.
Author note: Last updated October 6, 2026.