Crime
Missouri Mother Alleges Systemic Failures in Protecting Her Children from Abuse
St. Louis, MO – March 2025 – A Missouri mother, Aleah LeBeouf, has taken to social media to share allegations of severe child abuse and systemic failures by authorities tasked with protecting her children.
In an emotional post, LeBeouf stated that despite presenting 18 videos of alleged child abuse, no criminal charges have been filed against the alleged perpetrator.
She claims that Jefferson County authorities failed to act, stating her initial report was “lost” and that the Division of Family Services (DFS) delayed intervention for seven days.
LeBeouf expressed frustration over repeated roadblocks, citing conflicting responses from law enforcement and the judicial system.
After being advised by a judge to seek criminal charges for parental kidnapping, she alleges that the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department told her that such charges must be pursued by the courts, not police.
Despite her repeated efforts, LeBeouf claims she has received little response from her DFS caseworker.
She further states that two prior restraining orders were granted for her children’s protection, yet authorities failed to intervene when they were allegedly left in the custody of their abuser.
Adding to her distress, LeBeouf said she was arrested after breaking a window in an attempt to reach her children, who she claims had been physically harmed that same evening.
Now, out of desperation, she is considering making the alleged videos of abuse public, hoping they will prompt authorities to take action.
“I never wanted to post them because I never wanted my kids to see them later… But if it means someone listens, then I might have to,” LeBeouf wrote.
Authorities have identified the man shot and killed Friday afternoon in a parking lot outside a Little Caesars restaurant in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood.
The victim has been named as Stevens Jeffrey, 29, according to police and the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The shooting occurred in the 2600 block of West Cermak Road near Rockwell Street at approximately 1:10 p.m., according to the Chicago Police Department (CPD).
Preliminary reports indicate that Jeffrey was sitting in his vehicle when he was approached by an unknown vehicle.
An armed individual exited that vehicle and opened fire, striking Jeffrey multiple times in the face and body.
Emergency responders arrived on the scene, where Jeffrey was pronounced dead. He was discovered inside his vehicle with his two young children, ages 4 and 6, who were unharmed.
Both children were transported to Stroger Hospital for precautionary evaluation.
The shooting took place in the parking lot of a Little Caesars restaurant, where investigators recovered multiple shell casings and placed numerous evidence markers on the ground.
As of Friday evening, no suspects are in custody, and detectives from the CPD Area Four Homicide Unit are leading the investigation. Police have not released information on a possible motive.
Authorities are urging anyone with information about this homicide to contact Chicago Police or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTip.com.