Despite being visited by Child Services, 4-year-old Promise Cotton had to survive on chocolates for almost 2 weeks as her mother and brother lay dead at their Bronx apartment, which is situated on East 231st Street. 38 years old Lisa Cotton and her 8 years old son Nazir Millien were discovered dead in their apartment even after Child Services visited their apartment once and went back after knocking.
Their neighbor Sabrina Coleson talked about the authorities and how they behaved and said, as reported by New York Post, “They didn’t do s–t. They were here ringing people’s bells the day before the wellness check. They were here, but they didn’t do s–t.” She further said, “One rang my bell and asked if I had any concerns for upstairs. And then a man opened his door and started yelling. Lisa was a very cool girl. I never saw her son with her, only the girl. It’s terrible.”
Promise Cotton would have remained trapped had her grandfather, 71-year-old Hubert not sent his eldest granddaughter to check on Lisa and her family. As reported by NYP, the girl then found the bodies of Lisa and Nazir and also found Promise, who was alive by eating chocolates as mentioned by her grandfather.
As reported by NYP, “Law enforcement sources said Lisa Cotton had a history of erratic behavior, and had a pending ACS case for alleged child neglect before she was found dead. She was arrested in 2021 on child abandonment charges after police said she was caught swinging her then-infant daughter around in a stroller and lighting a wig on fire on White Plains Road, sources said. When cops arrived she was allegedly walking away, leaving Promise behind. The outcome of the case was not available because the file is sealed.”
For the recent unfortunate incident, the police arrived at the scene after Hubert’s eldest granddaughter alerted the police and took Promise away. The New York Police Department (NYPD) told PEOPLE in a statement that after they reached the apartment, they found Lisa and Nazir “unconscious and unresponsive, inside the location.” Both of them were pronounced dead right there.
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The NYPD further added, “The identity of the deceased is pending proper family notification.” The NYPD also gave an update on Promise’s condition and mentioned that after being rescued from the apartment, she was sent to a hospital for further medical evaluation.
When PEOPLE reached out to Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) regarding the case, they refused to provide any specific details. However, one spokesperson said, “ The safety and well-being of New York City’s children is our top priority. We are investigating this tragedy with the NYPD.”
While the reasons behind the death of Lisa and Nazir have not been confirmed yet, sources told NYP that the police think cardiac arrest killed Lisa and Nazir had perhaps starved to death as he was feeding from a tube. There have been no arrests yet and the investigation remains ongoing.
