The malnourished 4-year-old Harlem boy who died weighing simply 19 kilos lived in a hellish, feces-smeared dwelling the place his callous mother and father locked away meals, prosecutors revealed Thursday as his dad confronted a choose.
Laron Modlin, 25, was ordered held with out bail after the courtroom discovered disturbing new particulars in regards to the squalid circumstances underneath which little Jahmeik Modlin slowly starved to dying.
Meals-filled cupboards had been sealed shut with youngster security locks within the house the place Modlin and his spouse Nytavia Ragsdale, 26, lived with Jahmeik and three different younger kids, mentioned Assistant District Legal professional Heather Buchanan, describing circumstances discovered by medical experts.
“There was a fridge with meals in it,” she mentioned. “Nonetheless, the fridge was turned to the wall so it was not accessible by any of the kids until it was circled.”
A again bed room within the house was lined in human feces, and smear marks on the partitions had been in step with being made by kids, Buchanan informed a shocked courtroom.
Jahmeik — who slipped into unconsciousness late Sunday earlier than dying, burned and malnourished, hours later in Harlem Hospital — had feces matted all through his hair, Buchanan mentioned.
New info from the medical expert revealed the deceased boy’s hair additionally was thinning, a definite signal of malnutrition, the prosecutor mentioned.
The kid additionally had hair on his face, an indication of extended interval of dehydration and malnutrition, she mentioned.
Jahmeik was final seen medically in 2022. He weighed 23 kilos at the moment, Buchanan mentioned.
“The kid not solely had muscle losing and no fats on his physique,” she mentioned. “The kid’s progress itself — the bones — had been stunted, additional exhibiting the extended interval of deprivation this youngster endured.”
“Within the two years since he final had any medical consideration, he’s truly misplaced weight.”
The revelations detailed throughout the alleged deadbeat dad’s arraignment on manslaughter and youngster endangerment expenses add to an already-grim portrait of younger Jahmeik’s tragic life contained in the house alongside Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. close to West 144th Road.
Administration of Youngsters’s Providers staff twice visited the household’s dwelling within the final 4 years, sources informed The Submit.
One go to was for reported deplorable residing circumstances that had been cleaned up when staff arrived, a supply mentioned.
The opposite stemmed from considered one of Jahmiek’s siblings being born with marijuana of their system, in response to the supply.
The opposite three kids — who’ve been turned over to ACS — stay hospitalized on IV fluids and have gained no weight since they had been seen by a health care provider, Buchanan mentioned.
“They’re so malnourished that they’re presently on a liquid weight loss program, as they can’t be fed strong meals right now,” she mentioned.
Modlin, who hasn’t labored in two years, had informed authorities he “should not have observed the situation of his son as a result of he’s typically enjoying video video games or on his cellphone,” in response to a prison criticism.
After Jahmiek was within the hospital, Modlin left his house and primarily went into hiding in a member of the family’s dwelling whereas evading questions from cops, Buchanan mentioned.
Protection lawyer Kayla Smith informed the choose that Modlin had important psychological well being issues and argued he ought to be launched.
However Choose Beverly Tathan remanded him to jail the place he’ll await trial.
Ragsdale, Modlin’s spouse, had her bail set at $100,000 money by one other choose throughout her personal arraignment on equivalent expenses Wednesday.
