Friends, strangers mourn for child

Rachel Momon traveled from Bangor to the memorial for Jordani Rivera (below), who fell to his death Thursday in Roxbury. (George Rizer/globe staff)

Carmen Rivera, returning for the first time to the sidewalk in Roxbury where her 9-month-old-son died after falling from her apartment's fourth-floor window, collapsed to her knees and screamed to the heavens yesterday.

"Oh my God, my son, my son, my son," she wept. "Why? Why? Why? Why did you leave?"

Held up by family members, she stomped the ground and cried "Mi hijo!" - my son, in Spanish - over and again, and then placed a photograph of her son, Jordani, at a makeshift memorial of stuffed animals, balloons, and flickering votives.

Jordani's father, Michael Tejada, was at home when the boy fell Thursday, and police are investigating whether he left the child unsupervised on a bed that was flush against the open window. Two detectives spent about 40 minutes inside the building yesterday. No charges have been filed.

"Anecdotally, it seems like it was an accident, but we obviously are investigating," said Alison Goodwin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Families.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino yesterday proposed modifying city ordinances to ensure that landlords install window safety guards if they are requested by tenants with children age 6 and under.

The city currently encourages, but does not require, property owners to install the devices.

City inspection records show that a mother in Rivera's building had asked for window safety guards but that "the landlord told her window guards were not allowed." Commonwealth Land Trust, which owns the building, has said it did not receive any requests to install the guards and that it allows the devices.

"We are making it very clear that this is the responsibility of the building owner to provide and install approved window bars for families," said Menino's spokeswoman, Dorothy Joyce.

Rivera, who has two older children, ages 8 and 14, was at Miami International Airport on her way to the Dominican Republic on Thursday when relatives called and told her Jordani had fallen.

She returned immediately to Logan International Airport, but it was not until Rivera arrived at Boston Medical Center that she learned that her son had died, said Thomas Tejeda, a brother-in-law who visited Rivera's building yesterday.

Perla Soto, 29, who lives in the unit below Rivera's, said Rivera and her children had moved into the building about 4 months ago. She said Tejada, who lives with his mother in Charlestown, stopped by daily to play with Jordani.

"He's a good father," Soto said.

All day yesterday, neighbors and strangers stopped at the memorial. Children with baseball gloves, mothers pushing strollers, a biker on a Harley-Davidson, and college students all grieved.

"I'm not going to sit here and say I know how it feels to lose a child, but I know a mom is hurting," said Keya Furtado of Dorchester, who came with her daughter and left a teddy bear.

Rachel Momon, 40, said she had driven from Bangor because she is the mother of twins who are nine months old, the same age as Jordani. She left a yellow teddy bear at the memorial.

Many said the death was a mother's worst nightmare.

"Last night, I couldn't even sleep," said Ana Garcia, whose daughter, Holly Burgos, lives nearby. "I kept picturing it over and over."

Archie Holmes, a neighbor, knelt on a pillow on the sidewalk, clutched a prayer book, and turned his palms upward.

"Bless this child," he said. "Take him in the bosom of your love."

Several mourners said they were ready to install window safety guards in their homes.

Erin Christiansen, program director at the Boston Public Health Commission, said about half a dozen people called yesterday, asking about a city initiative that makes window guards available for $24.

She said she expected more calls in the next week.

"The only good thing that comes out of this is people pay attention to this risky area and perhaps will take the time to put these guards in place," Christiansen said.

Maria Cramer of the Globe staff and Globe correspondent Jeannie Nuss contributed to this report. Michael Levenson can be reached at mlevenson@globe.com.