Residents in the Harlem area of New York are coming together to mourn the tragic loss of a four-year-old boy, believed to have been starved by his parents, as prosecutors present their case.
During a vigil held on Friday night, community members honored Jahmeik Modlin by lighting candles and releasing balloons in front of the apartment where he was found in an alarming state of malnourishment, weighing just 19 pounds.
On Saturday morning, a prayer service took place where family members gathered to lay wreaths outside the apartment, forming an informal memorial in Jahmeik’s memory.
Tragically, he passed away Monday morning at a Harlem hospital, two days after police discovered him unconscious and unresponsive in his home.
The boy’s parents, Nytavia Ragsdale and Laron Modlin, have since been taken into custody, facing serious charges connected to their child’s death.
Ragsdale, who is 26 years old, was initially charged with criminally negligent homicide, but the charges were later elevated to second-degree manslaughter along with endangering a child’s welfare.
During a court appearance earlier this week, her bail was set at $100,000, while Modlin, aged 25, is scheduled to appear in court for similar charges next week.
Efforts to gather comments from the public defender’s office representing the couple have gone unanswered as of Saturday.
In court, prosecutors disclosed that Jahmeik’s three siblings, aged 5, 6, and 7, are currently under the care of child welfare agencies and receiving treatment for malnourishment at a hospital. Reports indicate that these children are unable to consume solid foods, requiring intravenous feeding instead.
Prosecutors further revealed disturbing details regarding the family’s living conditions, stating that although the parents had food in the house, they had directed the refrigerator toward a wall and locked cupboards to prevent the children from accessing food.
Moreover, they mentioned that none of the four children had ever attended school and had been largely hidden from society throughout their lives.