Funeral held for 4-year-old boy who starved to death in Harlem

HARLEM, Manhattan (PIX11) -- A funeral was held Tuesday night for the 4-year-old boy who prosecutors say starved to death in the care of his parents in Harlem.

26-year-old Nytavia Ragsdale and 25-year-old Laron Modlin have been charged with second-degree manslaughter for Jahmeik Modlin's death on October 14th.

They are also charged with endangering the welfare of his three older siblings. They were all found to be severely malnourished and were hospitalized.

The funeral was attended by about fifty people, including a dozen members of Jahmeik's extended family. His aunt, Nyisha Ragsdale, spoke briefly from the pulpit, saying "I got the phone call on my birthday, he died on my birthday."

Ragsdale hopes to gain custody of the surviving siblings and has also retained attorney Sandford Rubenstein to sue the city's Administration for Children's Services. The suit alleges A.C.S. “failed in its duty to monitor the safety of Jahmeik Modlin, despite multiple reports of domestic violence, malnutrition and unsafe conditions within the household."

New York State Attorney General Letitia James attended the service, along with NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey. Mayor Eric Adams did not attend.

Williams said "It is us who failed that family even as I speak here, the government failed the family. I'm here with this small box with a 4-year-old child in it."

James said the New York State Fatality Review Board is looking into the case and she will make the findings public when the investigation is done.

The City's Administration for Children's Services said it would conduct “an in-depth review” and promised to “identify opportunities to strengthen our policies,” but it did not specifically comment on the Modlin case, citing confidentiality laws.