Harlem neighborhood remembers 4-year-old boy prosecutors say was starved to death by parents

May Be Interested In:Pennsylvania governor sues over Trump administration spending freeze on grants, loans


NEW YORK — Residents in New York’s Harlem neighborhood are remembering a four-year-old boy who prosecutors say was starved to death by his parents.

Community members lit candles and released balloons during a Friday night vigil in front of the apartment building where prosecutors say Jahmeik Modlin was found so severely malnourished that he weighed just 19 pounds.

A prayer service and wreath laying ceremony with members of the child’s extended family was also held Saturday morning outside the apartment, where an impromptu memorial has been growing.

Modlin died Monday morning at a Harlem hospital after being found unconscious and unresponsive by police last Sunday night.

The boy’s parents, Nytavia Ragsdale and Laron Modlin, have been arrested and charged in the death.

Ragsdale was charged with criminally negligent homicide, which was later upgraded to second degree manslaughter, as well as endangering the welfare of a child.

Bail was set at $100,000 for Ragsdale, 26, at a court appearance this week; Modlin, 25, will be arraigned next week on similar charges.

Spokespersons for the public defender’s office representing the couple didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday.

Prosecutors said in court that the boy’s three other siblings, ages 5, 6 and 7, are under the custody of child welfare officials and are being treated at a hospital for malnourishment. They say the youths are unable to eat solid foods and are being fed intravenously.

Prosecutors said the couple had stocked the house with food but turned the fridge toward a wall and placed locks on cabinets so the children could not open them.

They also said the four children had never attended school and were hidden from the public most of their lives.

share Share facebook pinterest whatsapp x print

Similar Content

Road rage shooting in LA leaves 1 dead, shuts down Interstate 5 for hours
Road rage shooting in LA leaves 1 dead, shuts down Interstate 5 for hours
2 US House members seek to become North Carolina's attorney general
2 US House members seek to become North Carolina’s attorney general
Detroit strengthens security at sites where ballots are counted
Detroit strengthens security at sites where ballots are counted
The last Titanic salvage expedition was in 2010. Will there be any more?
The last Titanic salvage expedition was in 2010. Will there be any more?
Trump's Pentagon pick paid woman after sex assault allegation but denies wrongdoing, his lawyer says
Trump’s Pentagon pick paid woman after sex assault allegation but denies wrongdoing, his lawyer says
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s computer dispatch system remains down since New Year’s Eve
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s computer dispatch system remains down since New Year’s Eve

Leave a Reply

The World Unveiled: Today's Most Shocking Headlines | © 2024 | Daily News