Boy, 4, accidentally hangs himself on hoodie in Mankato thrift store changing room

MANKATO, Minn. (KMSP) - Police in Mankato, Minnesota say a 4-year-old boy died of an accidental strangulation over the weekend when he went into a changing room by himself and got his hooded sweatshirt stuck on a coat hanger.

Mankato police responded to the Again Thrift store at 706 North Victory Drive just after 5:30 p.m. Saturday night. The boy was taken to the local hospital where he was pronounced dead from an accidental strangulation. Police interviewed the boy's guardians and reviewed security footage from the store. While the case is unusual, police said no foul play is suspected.

“It appears at this time that he went into a changing room by himself, was gone for only a short period of time without direct supervision and ended up getting his hoodie stuck on a coat hanger and suffocated as a result of that,” Jeremy Clifton of the Mankato Department of Public Safety told KEYC-TV.

The official cause of death will be determined by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner.

Family identified the boy as Ryu Pena. An online fundraiser seeks donations for funeral costs.

“God gained another Angel last night and the few short years he was here with us, he never failed to make our day,” the family wrote. “Ryu was such a sweet boy, with a gorgeous smile and a unique little personality.”

You can contribute to the fund at https://www.gofundme.com/ryu-s-pena-funeral-expenses