A Seattle foster care couple say they repeatedly begged social workers to rescue a vulnerable young boy before he was found buried in a relative's backyard. Gary and Magali Lopez have been left heartbroken by the death of Aiden Scott Bevins, four, who they cared for from ages one to three.
They said they repeatedly raised concerns about his biological parents, who have not been named, before he was returned to their care in early 2025. The couple told Child Protective Services (CPS) Aiden would return from visits with his parents in Aberdeen, Washington, home dirty and hungry and they feared he was being put in dangerous situations.
On May 19, the youngster's body was discovered buried in a relative's yard after two other family members called for a welfare check. The police said they made the grim find while conducting an unrelated investigation at the property.
The Lopezes say they constantly tried to warn the authorities Aiden was in danger in the year leading up to his death, but alleged their warnings were brushed off by CPS every time. The Aberdeen Police Department said Aiden was never reported missing. It is unclear how long he had been buried before he was discovered.
'To see his face in the news. Just shattered our world. It's unbelievable,' Magali told King5.
Authorities said they have not determined Aiden's cause of death and cautioned that an autopsy could take some time to uncover how he died. No arrests have been made and the Aberdeen Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for an update to the case.
Magali said she contacted the Department of Children, Youth and Families at least three times when Aiden first went back into the custody of his biological parents. She said she and her husband also contacted his biological parents repeatedly and visited their family home to try and check on Aiden because they were terrified he was not safe.
'I raised concerns about the environment that he would be returning to,' she recalled. Magali said they were left in the dark about Aiden's health until seeing reports that Aiden was tragically found buried in the family's backyard. The discovery was 'something that we had been dreading, a fear of ours since he left,' Gary said.
Magali added she has been left bereft and without answers over what happened to Aiden and said she remembers him as a joyful child despite the hardships he faced in his young life. 'He had a very silly personality, like, he was one of those kids that are always just dancing, jumping around. He was full of energy,' she recalled.
Aberdeen Police Commander Steve Timmons said the investigation into the family is ongoing, and said that 'at this point, we’re still trying to determine the cause of death.' 'This is an active investigation, our detectives are working this diligently,' the police chief said. 'It’s our number one case. It’s a high priority case for us. So, it’s 24/7 they’re working on this.'
Timmons clarified that an unrelated investigation played a role in finding Aiden's body because an 'unrelated matter' led officers to search the home. 'It was something completely unrelated, our detectives started digging into it further, they started asking questions and that’s how we got to where we’re now at,' he said.
The Daily Mail has contacted CPS for comment.
