A woman is being questioned in her son’s death. Neighbors didn’t even know she had a child.
Yellow police tape covered the front door to the apartment at 2484 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard on Monday
By Alice Gainer
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NEW YORK (WCBS, WLNY) — A New York City woman is being questioned by police after her 4-year-old son’s death.
Officers responded to the woman’s home in Harlem after she called 911 and reported her child was unresponsive.
Yellow police tape covered the front door to the apartment at 2484 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard on Monday, a day after the boy was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead.
The child was severely malnourished, hypothermic and had what appeared to be burn marks 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 just suggest that people check in. Have some kind of check-in and find out who people are that they’re living around. Check in on the children,” said Iesha Sekou, founder and CEO of Street Corner Resources, Inc.
So far, the medical examiner’s office has not issued a cause of death and the woman has not been charged.
Some neighbors in the building told CBS News New York they didn’t even know the woman had a child.
“I would hear arguments and stuff, but I never knew children live over there,” a next-door neighbor said.
The building super, who has worked there for eight months, said he went to the apartment once to repair a leak, but never saw the boy.
“This kid lost life and not many people knew or ever seen this kid. That’s strange,” Sekou said.
Erica Speed said the woman told her she has four children.
“I seen her one time go and buy chicken and she would eat it out here before she go back. I’m like, ‘Hold up, you got kids!’ ‘Oh I ain’t gonna eat it up there because they gonna be begging for it.’ Well, buy them chicken too! It was crazy,” Speed said.
Officers did not enter the apartment when they were called Sunday night, and instead met the 26-year-old woman and child outside, sources said.
Officers executed a search warrant at the apartment Monday and no one was found inside.
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