4-year-old boy found dead in Harlem was starving, dehydrated: prosecutors
HARLEM, Manahttan (WABC) -- Prosecutors say the 4-year-old boy found dead in a Harlem apartment over the weekend was starving and dehydrated.
His mother, 26-year-old Nytavia Ragsdale, was arraigned Wednesday and her bail was set at $100,000.
Relatives of Ragsdale, who prosecutors say were kept in the dark, left court without a word after she was held on bail.
The boy's father, 25-year-old Laron Modlin, who denied the allegations, has not yet been arraigned. He remains in the hospital with anxiety and has not been medically cleared for court.
Both Ragsdale and Modlin are charged with manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child.
Doctors found 4-year-old Jahmeik Modlin suffered from malnutrition, dehydration and starvation. The boy weighed just 19 pounds at his death and his condition was chronic.
Doctors examined the couple's other three children at Bellevue Hospital and found them all to be "severely malnourished."
Prosecutors say Ragsdale and her Modlin isolated their children at home, slowly cutting off any contact while starving their 4-year-old to death.
They say Ragsdale lied to cops and said her husband, who was later arrested, was not at their Harlem home Sunday night, when in fact he was with their other kids, ages five, six and seven, who are now hospitalized and so ill that they can't keep solids down.
Sources say the Administration for Children's Services previously investigated the parents over claims that the 4-year-old was malnourished, but the claims weren't substantiated.
Typically, a child safety assessment includes: home visits that are often unannounced, interviews with parents and other contacts like pediatricians and an assessment of the home environment
It's unclear how many visits were made, but a lawyer who has dealt with ACS complaints before says that just because there is no obvious evidence doesn't mean it wasn't happening.
The ACS released this statement officially:
"The safety and well-being of New York City's children is our top priority. We are investigating this incident with the NYPD."
As for the mother, an order of protection is in place for her other three living children. She cannot have any contact with them at all.
Ragsdale was visibly upset by that ruling, shaking her head in response.
She has no prior criminal history, which contributed to judge's decision to set bail.
RELATED | Father and mother both charged in 4-year-old son's death in Harlem
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