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Harlem parents charged with murder in starvation death of 4-year-old boy, DA says
By
Charles Lane
Published Nov 6, 2024
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José A. Alvarado Jr. for Gothamist
By
Charles Lane
Published Nov 6, 2024
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Prosecutors charged the parents of a 4-year-old boy who starved to death in Harlem with murder, manslaughter, and four counts of assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
Both Nytavia Ragsdale, 26, and her partner Laron Modlin, 25, were arrested and initially charged with criminally negligent homicide after first responders found their son Jah'Meik unconscious on Oct. 13 in the family's apartment on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and West 144th Street, according to police and the Manhattan district attorney's office. Officials said the boy weighed just 19 pounds – approximately half the weight of an average 4-year-old – and had no body fat. He was later pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital.
In addition to the new murder charges, prosecutors charged the couple with endangering their three other children, ages 5, 6 and 7.
“The death of Jah’Meik Modlin, an innocent 4-year-old child, is a tragedy that has scarred this city,” Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “That he died a slow and painful death, starving alongside his older siblings, somehow isolated in the heart of Harlem, is a stain on our collective conscience.”
Ragsdale’s family spoke out last month, saying she suffered from domestic violence and unspecified mental health problems. They blamed various city agencies without proof and said they knew nothing about the poor state of the children’s health.
A spokesperson for Ragsdale’s family said they are aware of the new charges but didn’t immediately offer comment.
Lawyers for Ragsdale and Modlin did not immediately return phone messages.
Prosecutors said the couple starved the children for two years while keeping food in the house for themselves. Doors to the apartment’s cabinets were zip-tied shut and the refrigerator was turned toward the wall, according to court documents.
Both the apartment and the children were covered in dirt and feces, according to the DA's office. Prosecutors said the room where the children stayed locked from the outside.
None of the children attended school, according to officials, and the three surviving siblings displayed “very limited fine motor skills, and were incapable of holding any utensils or of feeding themselves,” prosecutors said.
Officials said the siblings remain hospitalized and have begun to regain their abilities after being given nutrients.
Tagged
nypd
public safety
harlem
Charles Lane
Charles is a Day-of reporter focused on breaking news and enterprise. He’s very friendly and can be reached at [email protected], or more securely on whatsapp/signal 631-295-6715
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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