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NYPD: Child was trapped in Wakefield apartment with dead mother, brother for at least 2 weeks

The cause of death for the 38-year-old woman and the 8-year-old boy has not yet been determined.

Melissa Rose Cooper

Apr 21, 2025, 8:35 AM

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Police have released new information about the 4-year-old who was found inside a Wakefield apartment with two bodies on Friday.

Authorities confirm that the girl was trapped in the apartment with her dead mother and brother for at least two weeks.

News 12 the Bronx spoke with the children’s grandfather, Hubert Cotton, who is now caring for the young girl. He says she is physically doing OK but the family remains in shock.

“They said she had a heart attack,” Cotton said. "I didn’t get the real thing yet but that’s what the police said.”

Police say they made the discovery on East 231st Street Friday during a wellness check. But questions remain, especially after reports that the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) visited the apartment earlier that week.

One person, who didn’t want to be identified, says he’s deeply concerned about the little girl’s future.

“I hope that she gets all the mental health care that she needs, and that she can heal and that she grows up without having this traumatic experience attached to her whole life.”

Police have not yet released an official cause of death.

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