Shenandoah Park reopened one day after investigators examined a slide where a 13-year-old boy had been found unresponsive.
MIAMI — A Miami park reopened one day after authorities examined playground equipment following an emergency involving a 13-year-old boy who later died, as questions remain about his family’s claim that his shirt became caught on a screw inside a slide.
Olvin Daniel Cabrera Valladares was found unresponsive at Shenandoah Park on Sept. 25 and taken in critical condition to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. His family said he was declared brain-dead Oct. 1. His mother, Estefanía Valladares, says a park visitor told her the boy had become caught on a screw in the slide.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed that account as the official cause of the incident. The City of Miami has said the matter remains under investigation, leaving unanswered questions about what investigators found on the playground and whether any work was performed on the slide before the park reopened.
Police and Miami Fire Rescue responded after Olvin was found unresponsive at the park near 1800 Southwest 21st Avenue. Rescue crews began lifesaving efforts and transported him to the hospital. Police secured part of the playground, and aerial video showed investigators examining both the inside and outside of a slide.
Officials described the inquiry from the start as non-criminal. Police said foul play was not suspected, while Miami District 3 Commissioner Rolando Escalona announced that Shenandoah Park would be closed for the day as investigators worked at the scene.
The City of Miami announced the next day that the park had reopened and regular activities could resume. Officials have not publicly detailed the findings that preceded that decision. A city spokesperson later said the investigation was continuing and declined further comment.
When a Local 10 News crew later visited the playground, visible screws on the equipment appeared flat. That observation does not establish the condition of the slide when Olvin was found, and it remains unclear whether any repairs, adjustments or other work had been performed after investigators left the park.
Olvin’s family says the circumstances were different when he was found. His mother said the man who discovered him told her the boy was caught on a screw and that the man pulled him free. Olvin’s sister, Stephany Valladares, gave a similar account in an online fundraiser, saying her brother’s shirt became stuck while he was using the slide.
The family’s description has intensified attention on the playground equipment, but authorities have not released inspection records, photographs of any alleged defect or a final investigative conclusion establishing that a screw caused the boy’s injuries. No criminal conduct has been alleged in connection with the incident.
The case began as a report of a child found unresponsive, with early statements from police and fire officials offering little information about what had happened. Investigators’ attention to the slide was visible at the scene, but officials did not immediately identify it as the cause of the emergency.
As of Tuesday, the park was open while the investigation remained unresolved publicly. The city has not announced whether additional safety measures are planned for the playground or when authorities expect to release further findings about the circumstances that led to Olvin’s death.
Author note: Last updated October 6, 2026.