The bodies of a mother and her 10-year-old son were found decomposing in their Bronx New York City Housing Authority apartment on the night of August 14, 2024. According to the New York Post, NYPD officers responded to a complaint about a foul odor coming from an apartment inside the Marble Hill NYCHA complex along Broadway.
According to the outlet, the boy was bedridden and had a feeding tube, leading authorities to believe that Sharlene Santiago, 39, had died from a medical condition, leading her son Brian to die from starvation.
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While police said there were no immediate signs of trauma or overdose, authorities believe that it's possible the mother fatally overdosed in the apartment, leaving the son without anyone to care for him. The investigation is waiting for the medical examiner to confirm the causes of death.
Santiago had been investigated by Administration for Children’s Services officials for abuse and neglect. According to 1010 Wins, she's had five complaints filed against her since 2013 regarding the care of her son. Law enforcement sources told New York Post that at one point, the boy had been taken away from her before being returned.
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"If you investigate a parent and return a child who later dies, that is a crime and someone needs to be held accountable," an investigator told the New York Post. "You can’t hide behind bureaucracy: ACS needs a total overhaul. This happens too many times, and one time is too much because we are talking about defenseless children."
