Elderly Homeless Mother and Son Found Dead in Car Near Rhode Island Hospital

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Authorities in Rhode Island struggled to locate an elderly homeless woman after a caller reported she was trapped in a snow-covered car with her dead son. Two weeks later, both the 75-year-old woman, Irina Kozak, and her 49-year-old son, Stanislaw Kozak, were found dead in a parking lot outside Miriam Hospital in Providence.

Why it matters

This tragic case highlights the challenges faced by homeless individuals, especially the elderly, during extreme weather conditions. It also raises questions about the response protocols and coordination between authorities when dealing with reports of missing or stranded individuals.

The details

According to police, the initial call came in on the evening of January 28th, when temperatures had dropped into the single digits. The caller, a Russian interpreter, reported that Irina Kozak was 'disabled inside her white Kia Sorento' and that her son 'had passed away' and 'hasn't moved in two days.' However, the caller could not provide an exact location, only saying the car was 'at a park near Miriam.' Despite searching the area, including Lippitt Park near Miriam Hospital, police were unable to locate the vehicle. It wasn't until February 11th that the Kozaks were found deceased in a parking lot next to Miriam Hospital.

• The initial call came in on the evening of January 28th, when temperatures had dropped into the single digits.
• Three days earlier, on January 25th, Providence had been buried under 20 inches of snow.
• The annual Point-in-Time Count, a federally mandated census of the state's homeless population, took place the day before the call to police on January 27th.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The Providence Police Department is reviewing its response protocols to determine if any improvements can be made to better handle similar situations involving missing or stranded individuals in the future.