Manhattan, New York — According to his defense attorney, the Manhattan man accused of starving his 4-year-old kid to death has been attacked by other inmates at Rikers Island while his lawyers attempt to place him in protective custody.
Laron Modlin, 25, was charged Wednesday with murder, manslaughter, assault, and criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jah’Meik Modlin last month, according to officials. The boy was 19 pounds when he died.
During his brief court appearance in Manhattan, the bearded defendant pled not guilty while clothed in khaki prison clothing.
“At least twice he was attacked in the unit by other inmates in response to the news and media,” defense attorney Jessica Horani told the judge, arguing that photographers should not take his image in court. “We’re trying to get him into protective custody.”
Modlin and the boy’s mother, Nytavia Ragsdale, 26, are accused of starving their four children for years while enjoying fresh food every day, according to authorities. According to court records, the parents allegedly packed their fridge with fresh groceries but turned it to the wall, preventing their four children from opening the door. Any cabinet storing food had a zip tie around the handle.
Jah’Meik’s brothers, ages 5, 6, and 7, were hospitalized for malnutrition and are gradually regaining their lost motor abilities, including the ability to wield utensils, according to court documents.
“Jah’Meik and his siblings were not attending school and had not visited a doctor in over two years. “The defendants prevented any family or friends from visiting in person, limiting communication to phone or video chats, continuing to isolate the children, and concealing each of their deteriorating conditions,” prosecutors stated.
Police responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive youngster in a home on Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard in Harlem around 7:45 p.m. on Oct. 13, according to authorities. The boy died from neglect and hunger the next morning.
Officials reported that Jak’Meik and his siblings arrived at the hospital with dirt under their nails and feces in their hair. Prosecutors said one of the three-bedroom apartment’s rooms was filthy and debris-filled, with feces on the walls.
“The tragic death of Jah’Meik Modlin, an innocent 4-year-old child, has left this city devastated. That he endured a prolonged and terrible death, starved alongside his elder brothers and secluded in the heart of Harlem, is a stain on our collective conscience,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg stated last week.
Ragsdale, who is also charged with murder, manslaughter, assault, and criminally negligent homicide, was arraigned last week and is being jailed without bail, court documents show.
The parents are due back in court on December 18.