Mother of slain toddler sues property owner, claims safety concerns at her rental home went ignored

BATON ROUGE – Months after a 3-year-old boy was killed by a stray bullet while lying in his bed, his mother is now suing the company responsible for overseeing the rental property where her toddler died. 

Tye Toliver filed the wrongful death lawsuit late last month on behalf of her slain son, Devin Page Jr., according to court records. The suit names Prudent Acquisitions, which owns the  Fairfields Avenue home where the shooting happened, as well as the company’s insurer.

Toliver alleges she tried to have the company free her from her lease on multiple occasions due to frequent gunfire in her neighborhood, including one incident where she took cover inside a closet with her children.

Despite her complaints, Toliver’s lawsuit says Prudent Acquisitions refused to relocate her to another property or end her lease.

Page was ultimately struck in the head by a bullet in April after a gunfight broke out in front of their home between two groups, police say. Detectives have yet to name a suspect or make an arrest in the shooting. 

Since Page’s death, the East Baton Rouge Metro Council has passed “Devin’s Law,” an ordinance putting more responsibility on property managers for security at their rentals.