A Harlem couple is behind bars and charged with the death of their 4-year-old son, Jahmeik.
Over the weekend, New York Police received a phone from Nytavia Ragsdale, the boy’s mother, 26, about Jahmeik being unresponsive. Once arriving at the hospital, the toddler had died and it was reported that his condition was shocking.
Doctors recall seeing a burn mark on the boy’s chest that was later identified as eczema, they also said he also suffered from hypothermia and severe malnutrition. He only weighed 19 pounds. Medical staff who were treating Jahmeik said that the boy would not have lived for the next 48 hours.
Assistant District Attorney Heather Buchanan said, “This child’s weight does not even appear within the growth percentiles. He’s below any measurable percentile compared to other children at his age. This child had almost no fat in his body.”
Jahmeik passed away on October 14th after he was transferred to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital for end-of-life care. The 4-year-old’s other siblings were also taken to the hospital and given IV fluids because they were unable to eat solid foods, according to the prosecutors.
Ragsdale was arrested the same day Jahmeik died. She claimed that she didn’t deny any of her children food. She claimed that she would feed Jahmeik in small portions because he would vomit or get diarrhea.
Police arrested the boy’s father, Laron Modlin, 25, on Tuesday. He also claimed that the children were never denied food and that he didn’t notice the condition of the children. The parents were charged with endangering the welfare of a child and negligent homicide.
Nytavia Ragsdale’s charge was upgraded to second-degree manslaughter. Community advocate Iesha Sekou spoke about the child’s death and said, “One of the biggest things this morning that broke my heart was that nobody knew that this woman had a child. A child was attached to this woman. When you have a 4-year-old child, that child is usually outside playing, being mischievous, everybody knows that kid. Nobody knew a 4-year-old kid and even knew that she had a child?”