Boy's death devastating, family member says

There is no evidence Saturday's death of 11-year-old Allan Fernandez was anything more than a tragic accident, Hoffman Estates police said Monday.

An autopsy by the Cook County medical examiner determined that the boy suffered a puncture wound to the chest, but it remains unclear what caused the injury. The case remains under investigation by Hoffman Estates and Cook County Forest Preserve police, with the assistance of the Major Case Assistance Team.

Police responded to an ambulance call Saturday afternoon to the 1300 block of Mallard Lane when Allan was found unconscious and not breathing near his backyard, which borders the Poplar Creek Forest Preserve.

Neighbors on Sunday said they heard the boy was injured after falling from a tree in the neighboring forest preserve, but police declined to comment Monday on how the injury occurred.

Hoffman Estates police Sgt. Darin Felgenhauer said items considered to be evidence in the investigation were located during a forensic search of the area but did not elaborate further. He said police were not searching for other evidence.

Rosa Olea, a cousin of Allan's father, said the family is devastated.

“They're very private people,” she said. “They're kind of upset for how much news coverage there was. They just want to be able to grieve privately.”

Olea said Allan loved sports and that he could often be seen riding his bike or skateboard and walking his dog. She said he also was active at Iglesia Ni Cristo Church of Christ, Locale of Bloomingdale, where he sang in the children's choir.

The family is still waiting to hear official word of what happened to Allan from an investigator, Olea said, but they know he was found alone and were looking at his death as an accident.

“It was very sudden, very unexpected,” she said. “Fortunately there's a very strong community and church network helping.”

On Monday, grief counselors visited every classroom at Timber Trails Elementary School, making themselves available to Allan's classmates and staff members, said John Heiderscheidt, safety coordinator for Elgin Area School District U-46. Allan was a fifth-grader at the Hoffman Estates school.

Although parents can keep grieving children home, the district strongly believes that being together is the best way for students to cope with such a tragedy, Heiderscheidt said.

“I applaud our staff for trying to make the day as normal as possible under the circumstances,” he said. “But our thoughts and emotions were not normal.”

With the tragedy being so recent, none of Allan's past or present teachers felt capable Monday of commenting about him, Heiderscheidt said.

“Their emotions are pretty raw right now,” he said. “(Allan) was a good kid and a popular kid.”

According to an obituary, Allan was born Jan. 5, 2001, in Lake Forest to Allan and Gemma Fernandez. He had an older sister.

In lieu of flowers, memorials to Timber Trails Elementary School are appreciated.

Visitation is scheduled from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Friedrich-Jones Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 44 S. Mill St. in Naperville. Funeral services will take place there at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Accident: Grief counselors were on hand at boy's school