Current:Home > MarketsNYC parents charged in death of 4-year-old boy who prosecutors say was starved to death -WealthSync Hub
NYC parents charged in death of 4-year-old boy who prosecutors say was starved to death
View
Date:2025-04-12 00:30:31
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City couple were indicted Wednesday in the death of their 4-year-old son, who prosecutors say was actively starved along with his siblings in a Harlem apartment where the parents kept their fridge stocked with fresh food for themselves.
Nytavia Ragsdale, 26, and Laron Modlin, 24, face a range of charges including murder, manslaughter, assault and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
Ragsdale, who had been initially charged with second-degree manslaughter, pleaded not guilty Wednesday and remains held without bail. Modlin will be arraigned next week.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the additional and stepped-up charges were warranted because of the “extreme physical neglect and persistent abuse with depraved indifference for his life” demonstrated by the couple.
“The death of Jah’Meik Modlin, an innocent four-year-old child, is a tragedy that has scarred this city,” Bragg said in statement. “That he died a slow and painful death, starving alongside his older siblings, somehow isolated in the heart of Harlem, is a stain on our collective conscience.”
Prosecutors said the couple stocked the house with fresh food but turned the fridge toward a wall and placed zip ties on cabinets containing food so their children could not open them.
They also said the children were hidden from other family and the public most of their lives. The children never attended school, had not seen a doctor in years and lived in a room covered in feces.
Jah’Meik Modlin died at a Harlem hospital after police found him unconscious and unresponsive at his home on Oct. 13.
At the time of his death, he weighed just 19 pounds and had almost no body fat, prosecutors said. The boy’s three other siblings, ages 5, 6 and 7, were also severely malnourished and remain hospitalized.
The public defender’s office representing the couple declined to comment Thursday.
veryGood! (7)
Related
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- Charles Barkley says NBA chose money over fans after Turner loses NBA rights
- 2024 Olympics: Kelly Clarkson Tears Up Watching Céline Dion’s Emotional Performance at Opening Ceremony
- What to know about NBC's Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony plans and how to watch
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- How Josh Hall Is Completely Starting Over After Christina Hall Split
- Taylor Swift makes unexpected endorsement on her Instagram story
- Wisconsin DNR says emerald ash borer find in Burnett County means beetle has spread across state
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Man gets 66 years in prison for stabbing two Indianapolis police officers who responded to 911 call
Ranking
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- The city of Atlanta fires its human resources chief over ‘preferential treatment’ of her daughter
- Everyone's obsessed with Olympians' sex lives. Why?
- Joel Embiid embraces controversy, gives honest take on LeBron James at Paris Olympics
- Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
- FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
- Snoop Dogg opening ceremony highlights: Best moments from rapper's Paris commentary
- Exfoliate Your Whole Body: Must-Have Products To Reveal Brighter, Softer Skin
Recommendation
San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
Forensic review finds improprieties in Delaware gubernatorial candidate’s campaign finances
Rain could dampen excitement of Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Powerful cartel leader ‘El Mayo’ Zambada was lured onto airplane before arrest in US, AP source says
Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
Olivia Culpo responds to wedding dress drama for first time: 'I wanted to feel like myself'
Recall of Boar’s Head deli meats announced during investigation of listeria outbreak
Test results for Georgia schools rise again in 2024, remain below pre-pandemic outcomes