NEW YORK — A New York City woman was arrested and charged after the death of her 4-year-old son.
Officers responded to the woman’s Harlem home last weekend after she called 911 and reported her child was unresponsive.
The woman, identified as 26-year-old Nytavia Ragsdale, has been charged with negligent homicide and endangering the welfare of a child.
The boy’s cause of death is under investigation
Yellow police tape covered the front door of the apartment at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. on Monday. 2484 Boulevard, a day after the boy was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead.
The child was severely malnourished, hypothermic and had burns on his chest, according to police sources.
“The safety and well-being of New York City’s children is our top priority. We are investigating this incident with the NYPD,” the New York City Administration for Children’s Services said.
“I would suggest people check in. Have some kind of check-in and find out who the people are that they live around. Check in with the kids,” says Iesha Sekou, founder and CEO of Street Corner Resources, Inc . .
So far, the medical examiner’s office has not issued a cause of death.
Neighbors say they never saw the boy
Some neighbors in the building told CBS News New York that they didn’t even know Ragsdale had a child.
“I heard arguments and stuff, but I didn’t know kids lived there,” said a neighbor.
The construction supervisor, who worked there for eight months, said he once went to the apartment to fix a leak but never saw the boy.
“This child lost his life and not many people knew or ever saw this child. That’s strange,” Sekou said.
Erica Speed said Ragsdale told her she has four children.
“I saw her buy chicken once and she ate it here before she went back. I thought, ‘Wait a minute, you have kids!’ “Oh, I’m not going to eat it there because they’re going to beg for it.” Well, buy them chicken too! It was crazy,” Speed said.
Officers did not enter the apartment when called Sunday evening, but instead met Ragsdale and the child outside, sources said.
Officers executed a search warrant at the apartment on Monday, but no one was found.
Mark Prussia contributed to this report.
Alice Gainer
