Five-year-old Daytwon Bennett wasn't around when a city social worker visited his home earlier this month, and his mother was ordered to make sure he was there for a scheduled visit Monday.
But Daytwon died over the weekend, a victim of starvation and repeated beatings, officials said. His mother was charged with murder.The boy died of heart failure brought on by malnutrition, said Nicholas Scopetta, commissioner of the city's children's services administration. He said the agency will investigate its handling of the case.
Daytwon's mother, 27-year-old Jocelyn Bennett, on Saturday rushed her son to a Bronx hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
An autopsy showed Daytwon had been starved and beaten, with injuries to his head, torso, arms, legs and spine that were in various stages of healing, said Ellen Borakove, spokeswoman for the city medical examiner's office.
The 3-foot, 91/2-inch tall boy weighed 30 pounds, a typical weight for a boy under the age of 3.