Mother charged in death of her malnourished son, 4, who was found unresponsive in Harlem apartment

NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A mother was charged Monday night in the death of her son, 4-year-old Jahmeik Modlin, who was found unresponsive inside their Harlem apartment on Sunday evening.

Nytavia Ragsdale, 26, was arrested around 6:22 p.m. and charged with criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child. She has no prior arrests.

Police listed both Jahmeik and Ragsdale’s apartment as 2484 Seventh Ave., near Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard in Harlem.

NYPD officers responded to the address at around 7:40 p.m. on Sunday after receiving a 911 call from Jahmeik’s father, and they found the child unconscious inside, officials said.

EMS transported him to NYC Health + Hospital/Harlem, where he was pronounced dead.

Jahmeik appeared to be malnourished, police said. He had eczema on his chest, and sources told 1010 WINS that he had no documentation at all, including any health records showing he had ever seen a doctor.

The community came together outside Jahmeik’s apartment on Monday and held a vigil filled with balloons, candles and stuffed animals as local leaders, including NYPD clergy liaison Robert Rice, shared their grief.

Stephanie McGraw—the founder of the New York City nonprofit WARM (We All Really Matter), which supports survivors of domestic violence—said that the vigil was held to show love to the late child.

“This was a baby that will no longer celebrate,” she said. “He won’t celebrate his fifth birthday. We’re going to be here to tie these balloons for him, to let you know that we love you.”

Neighbors painted a grim picture of what life was like for Jahmeik and his three siblings. Erica, a neighbor and fellow mother in the building, shared with 1010 WINS that she had been friendly with Ragsdale but never saw the children leaving the apartment.

“I’ve lived here for four years. She’s lived here almost three, and I never saw her kids,” Erica said. “I’d see her with the same clothes on. So I asked, you know, all her, my service is like, ‘Oh, I got kids’ clothes. Do you want them?’ She always denied the clothes.”

Additionally, multiple neighbors reported that the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) had been called on the family several times after they heard the children screaming. Erica added that despite these concerns, Ragsdale seemed to have a quiet demeanor.

“I’ve never seen her angry or upset or nothing like that,” Erica explained. “I thought she was a soft-spoken, nice person.”

The other three children were with their grandmother on Monday evening, police said.

McGraw told 1010 WINS that in situations like this, the community deserves to know what happened, to help prevent future deaths.

“This is a child that lost his life, a four-year-old child that lost his life,” McGraw said. “And we are very upset and we want answers and we want to make sure that this never happens to another child in our community.”