A 4-year-old child in Harlem, New York, was allegedly starved to death by his parents. Advocates and the child's family members are blaming the city for failing to intervene despite multiple reports of domestic violence.
Police responded to a 911 call to an apartment building in Harlem on Oct. 13. Officers found a malnourished four-year-old boy matted with feces. He was immediately brought to the hospital but died a day later.
Investigators said the boy, identified as Jahmeik Modlin, displayed signs of chronic starvation and malnutrition, including thinning hair on his head and hair growing on his face. He weighed only 19 pounds at the time of his death---a weight normal for a one-year-old child, per the New York Times.
Investigators also rescued three other children from the house---ages five, six, and seven. All three children displayed signs of severe malnourishment. They are currently hospitalized.
Who Is To Blame for the Child's Death?
Jahmeik's parents, 26-year-old mother Nytavia Ragsdale and 25-year-old father Laron Modlin, were arrested and charged with manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child. This was after investigators found that the house had a stocked fridge turned to the wall as well as stocked cupboards with childproof locks.
Furthermore, Nytavia admitted that the four-year-old had been eating his own vomit for weeks prior to his death. On the other hand, his father said he had been too busy playing video games to notice his son wasting away.
However, advocates and the family of Nytavia blamed NYC's Administration for Children's Services (ACS) for failing to intervene and prevent the child's death. They claimed Nytavia had reported domestic violence to the ACS in 2022, but no action was taken.
Additionally, the family had previously been investigated for reports of malnourishment even before Jahmeik was born. The agency also investigated claims of parental drug use. Nytavia tested positive for marijuana in that case, but Jahmeik did not. That case was closed as unfounded.
The agency had its last case with the Moldins in 2022 when a neighbor reported a terrible odor from the apartment. The family would not let the caseworker in, but Nytavia brought the children to the front door. The caseworker only saw the children had eczema and instructed that they be brought to the hospital. The caseworker did not note any signs of malnutrition and the case was later closed.
How Did the ACS Respond?
The agency refused to publicly share any details about the Modlins' case, citing confidentiality laws. However, the ACS said they would conduct an "in-depth review" of the case and would "transparently" publish the results of its investigation.
