A 39-year-old mother and her 10-year-old son were found dead in their Bronx, New York apartment, their decomposing bodies discovered after police responded to a report of a foul odor late Wednesday, August 14, 2024. Law enforcement officials believe the mother, Sharlene Santiago, died of a medical episode, leaving her bedridden son, Brian Santiago, to starve to death.
Police discovered the bodies inside the apartment located in the Marble Hill NYCHA complex at 5240 Broadway. Neighbors alerted the authorities after noticing a strong odor coming from the apartment. According to law enforcement sources, the bodies had been decomposing for an undetermined amount of time. The family dog was found alive, apparently having survived on available food.
Brian Santiago, who relied on a feeding tube and was bedridden, likely starved after his mother’s death, police sources told the New York Daily News. A neighbor who witnessed the police entering the apartment described the scene, saying, “They were knocking. Nobody opened the door, so they broke in. After that, I saw the ambulances all outside.”
The mother’s death has brought renewed scrutiny to the city’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), which had investigated Santiago multiple times. Since 2013, ACS has opened five cases against Santiago, beginning with a complaint that her son had tested positive for marijuana at birth. Other complaints over the years included allegations of drug abuse, failure to thrive, and neglect. Brian was briefly removed from his mother’s custody in 2016, though he was later returned.
Santiago also was investigated by ACS in 2011 in a case about her drug use and inadequate guardianship of a daughter, who was not in her custody at the time of the deaths.
Councilwoman Diana Ayala, who represents parts of Manhattan and the Bronx, described the death of the boy as deeply saddening and stated that she would investigate further to understand the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
Law enforcement officials and child welfare advocates have expressed criticism toward ACS, contending that systemic failures within the agency contributed to the tragedy. An investigator emphasized that if a child is returned to a parent and later dies, it constitutes a crime, and someone should be held responsible.
While the investigation into the exact cause of the deaths is still ongoing, the city’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is expected to conduct autopsies to confirm the cause of death for both Santiago and her son.
In a separate incident the same night, an 11-month-old girl, Jazeli Mirabel, was found dead in a bathtub in another part of the Bronx, prompting further questions about the effectiveness of the city’s child welfare services.
The circumstances surrounding both deaths have reignited discussions about the need for critical reforms in New York City’s child welfare system. Despite previous efforts to reform the system, many question whether stronger interventions could have saved Brian Santiago’s life.