Father now also charged in death of Harlem 4-year-old
NEW YORK -- The father of a 4-year-old Harlem boy has now also been arrested following his son's death.
Laron Modlin, 25, has been charged with criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child. That's the same charges the boy's mother, 26-year-old Nytavia Ragsdale, was charged with.
Ragsdale called 911 this weekend saying her child was unresponsive, police said. Officers went to her apartment at West 144th Street and Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard and rushed the child to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police sources say Ragsdale's other children were staying with her grandmother Sunday when she called 911.
Police sources said the boy had what appeared to be burn marks on his chest, was severely malnourished, and hypothermic. Sources said those marks on his chest may be eczema, a skin condition that causes dry, itchy and inflamed skin.
New York City's Administration for Children's Services said it's investigating the incident. Sources said the ACS previously investigated allegations of mistreatment, but no charges were filed and the investigation was deemed unfounded. The child was never removed from the home.
"Listen, it breaks our heart any time a child is abused, any time a child is harmed," Mayor Eric Adams said. "The men and women that work at ACS - that job is a tough job.... Those who are saying 'Hey, we have the laws, why didn't you take him out faster now? Takes a lot of skill, a lot of talent, a lot of patience, a lot of professionalism to make these tough calls every day."
"We want to do everything we can to give parents the support that they deserve, and make the call when have to remove those children out of homes," Adams added.
There's been no official word as yet as to what caused the boy's death.