Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. has announced the indictment of 26-year-old Nytavia Ragsdale and 25-year-old Laron Modlin in the death of their 4-year-old son Jah’Meik Modlin and abusing their three children in their Harlem apartment.

The Manhattan DA reports that Ragsdale and Modlin are charged with Murder in the Second Degree, four counts of Assault in the First Degree, Manslaughter in the Second Degree, Criminal Negligent Homicide, and four counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.

In a statement, District Attorney Bragg said the death of “an innocent four-year-old child, is a tragedy that has scarred this city.” Bragg alleged that the four-year-old died a slow and painful death starving alongside his older siblings.

Bragg went on to say, “Today his parents are indicted for allegedly killing him through extreme physical neglect and persistent abuse with depraved indifference for his life.”

Court documents and statements allege that Ragsdale and Modlin actively starved their children for approximately two years while purchasing food for themselves on a daily basis. The apartment had a working refrigerator, but it was turned so the door was facing the wall and could not be opened.

Cabinets containing food allegedly had zip ties on the handles. Authorities also allege that one bedroom was covered in feces. The floor could not be seen due to the amount of dirt and excrement.

The walls were smeared with feces to the approximate height of the child. Court documents allege that the room was the only one with a lock. The lock was placed on the outside allowing someone to lock another person inside the room.

Officials also claim Jah’Meik and his 5, 6, and 7-year-old siblings were not in school and had not seen a doctor in more than two years. The defendants allegedly kept friends and family from visiting in person. Authorities allege that Jah’Meik weighed approximately 19 pounds at the time of his death and suffered malnutrition, dehydration, and starvation.

Court documents say the children arrived at the hospital with layers of dirt on their skin and feces matted in their hair. Jah’Meik’s siblings remain hospitalized for malnutrition and reportedly display very limited fine motor skills and are unable to hold any utensils or feed themselves.