Harlem boy, 4, weighed 19 pounds at time of death: officials
NEW YORK (PIX11) – A 4-year-old Harlem boy who died on Monday was suffering from chronic malnutrition, dehydration, and starvation, according to a criminal complaint released Wednesday.
He was 19 pounds when he died, according to the city's medical examiner.
The boy's mother, Nytavia Ragsdale, 26, was charged with second-degree manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child, according to court documents. She was arraigned on Wednesday.
On Sunday, police responded to a 911 call of an unconscious child in a home on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard around 7:45 p.m. The child’s father had called 911 and then left the home, sources told PIX11 News.
The 4-year-old boy, Jahmeik Modlin, later died at Harlem Hospital.
Police also took Ragsdale's three other children to Bellevue Hospital for evaluation.
“Doctors at Bellevue examined the children, and all three children are severely malnourished,” a criminal complaint read. “All three children have been admitted to Bellevue Hospital for further examination and treatment."
The father, 25-year-old Laron Modlin, was arrested Tuesday and charged with criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child, police say.
Both Ragsdale and Modlin claim they were feeding their son and other children and never limited their food intake, according to the criminal complaint.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.