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Providence Police Review Search After Mother and Son Found Dead in Snowbound Car Near Hospital

The department is assessing its January 28 response following a 911 tip with no exact location.

Overview

  • Irina Kozak, 75, and her son, Stanislaw, 49, were found dead on February 11 inside their white Kia Sorento in a parking lot next to Miriam Hospital in Providence.
  • A friend serving as a Russian interpreter called 911 on January 28 reporting Kozak was trapped in the SUV and that her son had not moved for two days.
  • Officers searched near the hospital for about an hour without a plate number or precise location, then documented the call as unable to locate.
  • Police ruled the deaths weather-related during Winter Storm Fern, saying underlying health issues may have contributed as temperatures fell to single digits and snowfall neared 20 inches.
  • Authorities notified a relative in Germany, and the department says it is evaluating whether procedural improvements are needed.