Family Blames NYC In Boy's Death, Calls For AG Investigation

NEW YORK CITY — The family of a 26-year-old mother who is facing charges in connection to her 4-year-old son's death is calling for an Attorney General investigation, saying the city is to blame.

Nytavia Ragsdale and the son's father Laron Modlin, 25, have been charged with criminally negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child, Patch previously reported.

At a press conference in front of the Brooklyn Field Office of the Administration for Child Services, family members said the city agency visited the home in 2022, but no action was taken.

“We’re calling on Attorney General [Letitia] James to do an internal investigation,” Kevin McCall, a family advisor, said.

Ragsdale's family said the 26-year-old mother had been suffering from domestic violence and mental health issues.

"Domestic violence is real,” McCall told reporters Monday. “Those are real issues that when you’re not getting the support from the city agencies, and you’re not getting the support from people that are supposedly our community and the village to be able to help you, this is what happens. The city has failed.”

The family has said they were unaware of the circumstances inside the apartment.

In a statement, The ACS said it plans to conduct an “in-depth” review of what happened inside the apartment.

On Oct. 13, police found 4-year-old Jahmeik Modlin unresponsive inside 2484 Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd in Harlem around 8 p.m., Patch previously reported.

The boy was transported to Harlem Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Modlin may have been suffering from malnourishment and hypothermia, according to multiple media reports.