Miami closes enclosed slides at 4 parks after 13-year-old boy's death following playground incident

The City of Miami has closed enclosed slides at four parks until further notice following the death of a 13-year-old boy who was found inside a slide at Shenandoah Park.

The closures affect Shenandoah Park, Children's Park, Southside Park, and Fern Isle Park. All other playground equipment remains open, according to the city.

Olvin Cabrera Valladares was found inside the enclosed slide at Shenandoah Park on Sept. 25 and died days later. His mother, Estefania Valladares, told CBS News Miami this week that she believes a screw caught his shirt, causing him to choke.

"A screw caught his shirt," she said in Spanish. "I think once he realized it, he tried to remove it, but the shirt must have choked him."

The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.

Miami Commissioner Rolando Escalona, whose district includes Shenandoah Park located at 1800 SW 21st Ave., said he directed the administration to close enclosed slides throughout the city.

"I instructed the administration to close all the enclosed slides that we have in the City of Miami," Escalona said.

Asked why the closures extended beyond the park where the incident occurred, he said: "We want to make sure that all the enclosed slides are completely safe."

In a statement, the city cited limited visibility inside the slides as the reason for the closures.

"To ensure the safety of our residents, the city has closed four enclosed slides in its parks until further notice because of limited visibility inside these slides," the statement said.

Wooden covers now block access to several of the slides.

Nina Jarquin, a mother whose child frequently uses the playground equipment, said the closures were overdue.

"Some of them are not safe," Jarquin said. "Some of them, you can see when the kids are sliding down — especially the larger kids or older kids — that they shake and they don't look as sturdy."

Jarquin also raised concerns about maintenance and the possibility of hardware becoming loose with repeated use. She supports keeping the enclosed slides closed for as long as necessary to ensure children's safety.

Escalona and city officials declined to comment further on the circumstances of Olvin's death, citing the ongoing investigation.

His mother said he has not yet been buried and is asking for help covering the costs of laying her son to rest.