Mother of malnourished boy Jahmeik Modlin, who died in Harlem apartment, blames NYC agencies for ignoring cries for help

The parent of Jahmeik Modlin, a malnourished 4-year-old boy who weighed conscionable 19 pounds erstwhile helium died past week successful their Harlem apartment, was pointing the digit astatine metropolis agencies she said ignored her cries for help.

Through relatives and a household adviser, Nytavia Ragsdale, 26, said she had reached retired to societal workers from the city’s Administration for Children’s Services, and nary 1 helped her, Jahmeik oregon her 3 emaciated young daughters.

Jahmeik Modlin and his mother, Nytavia Ragsdale.

“No 1 answered her outcry for help,” said the Rev. Kevin McCall, who said helium spoke with Ragsdale astatine Rikers Island, wherever the parent is being held without bail connected manslaughter and endangering the payment of a kid charges.

“They did not bash their owed diligence to assistance Nytavia,” said McCall, who was joined by Ragsdale’s relatives astatine a Monday property league extracurricular the ACS gathering connected Bedford Ave. successful Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.

Reverend Kevin McCall on with household members of 26yr aged Nytavia Ragsdale, who was arrested successful the starvation decease of her 4yr aged lad Jahmeik Modlin, holds a property league extracurricular of the Administration for Children’s Services Brooklyn Field Office astatine 1274 Bedford Avenue successful Brooklyn connected Monday Oct. 21, 2024. (Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News)

Family members said they saw the children during FaceTime calls, but the telephone lone showed them from the thorax up.

“We are inactive coming to presumption with this,” Ragsdale’s sister, Dianna Kerlegrand, said. “The household was not alert of the circumstances wrong the household. We basal steadfast down Nytavia Ragsdale, and we are committed to seeking justness for her, Jahmeik and his siblings.”

The boy’s father, Laron Modlin, has besides been arrested and faces akin charges.

A lawyer for Modlin and a typical for ACS did not instantly respond to requests for comment.

ACS had visited the location earlier to analyse concerns astir malnutrition, but investigators did not substantiate the allegation, a instrumentality enforcement root said.

The child’s decease sparked a preliminary reappraisal by the city’s Department of Investigation of ACS’ handling of the child’s case, which whitethorn pb to a afloat probe, a spokesperson told the Daily News.

Ragsdale’s household said she was struggling with intelligence wellness issues. A lawyer for Modlin said helium suffers from intelligence wellness issues, too

Police were called Oct. 13 to the family’s flat on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. adjacent W. 145th St.

Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News

A 4-year-old lad was pronounced dormant astatine Harlem Hospital aft helium was recovered unconscious and unresponsive wrong flat connected Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. successful Manhattan connected Sunday Oct. 13, 2024. (Theodore Parisienne for New York Daily News)

When officers arrived Ragsdale was already extracurricular with her lad and told officers helium was unconscious.

Medics rushed the lad to Harlem Hospital, wherever helium died.

Prosecutors said the flat wherever the lad fell unconscious arsenic his rail-thin siblings, ages 5, 6, and 7, looked on, was stocked with nutrient — but the cabinets were secured with kid locks and the refrigerator was turned toward a partition truthful doors could not easy beryllium opened.

The different children were hospitalized and hooked up to IVs due to the fact that they were incapable to devour coagulated food.

The lad had been starved for years and was truthful hopeless for nutrient that helium ate his ain vomit, prosecutors said.

Malnutrition wasn’t the lone signifier of maltreatment and neglect, authorities said. A backmost chamber successful the flat was covered successful quality feces, and prosecutors said Jahmeik had feces matted passim his hair.