14 DAY TRIAL // The death of a Brooklyn woman in a northern New Jersey apartment has left her four-year-old child surviving on sugar and water for days.
He could not notify police of the mother's passing since he was unable to open the chain lock and free himself from the apartment.
The boy has been found severely dehydrated, malnourished and weighing about 26 pounds (12 kg), compared to the regular 40 pounds (18 kg) children his age should weigh.
According to the Epoch Times, 38-year-old Kiana Workman's body was recovered on Tuesday, March 26 after a foul odor was reported in the building.
Authorities are yet to assess the exact time that the woman has spent in the house, once collapsing on her bedroom floor.
Said period of time is estimated at somewhere between three and five days, although no witnesses have seen the woman for an entire week. The woman's only known relative, her mother, has been informed of her passing.
Her son was eating out of a bag of sugar because he wasn't strong enough to open a soup can or even open the fridge door and look inside. Authorities are currently looking into whether he was neglected prior to the mother's death.
“Physically, he’s fine. Whether there are any mental problems later on … I’m not a child expert. [...] It’s possible he was improperly cared for before the mother’s death; we just don’t know yet,” Police Director Daniel Zieser says.
He notes that, since the story was made public, donations and adoption requests have been pouring in.
“It’s overwhelming. [...] I just hope everything works out for the child. [...] We’re just going to take it one step at a time and do the best that we can for the child,” Zieser adds.