A mother and her 8-year-old son were found dead in their Bronx apartment on Friday night, while her 4-year-old daughter was discovered alive but alone, according to police and the woman’s family.
The 38-year-old woman, identified by family as Lisa Cotton, was found around 8:30 p.m. after a 911 call was made requesting a welfare check at her apartment in the Wakefield neighborhood.
Responding officers discovered Ms. Cotton and her son unconscious inside the residence. Her young daughter was awake and alone in the apartment. According to the child’s uncle, the boy had a disability that prevented him from walking or eating solid food.
Emergency medical personnel arrived shortly after police and pronounced both Ms. Cotton and her son dead at the scene. The girl was taken to Montefiore Medical Center, where she was reported to be in stable condition on Saturday.
It remains unclear how long Ms. Cotton and her son had been deceased before they were found, or how long the 4-year-old had been left to survive on her own.
Authorities reported that there were no visible signs of trauma on either Ms. Cotton or her son. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is currently investigating the cause of death.
In a brief statement on Saturday, Ms. Cotton’s brother, Akim Cotton, said the 911 call had been made by Ms. Cotton’s 17-year-old daughter. Although she did not live in the apartment, she had stopped by to check on the family and discovered her mother and brother unresponsive and her younger sister sitting nearby.
Mr. Cotton, who resides in Sacramento, California, said the police contacted his father after the initial discovery, and he then informed the rest of the family.
“Death is something we all must face, but losing someone young—whether a sibling or friend—is incredibly painful,” Mr. Cotton said.
He shared that his sister, a lifelong Bronx resident, had been under immense stress caring for her son. Because their building lacked an elevator, she had to physically carry his wheelchair down the stairs before returning to carry her son.
“She didn’t have many people to lean on,” Mr. Cotton explained, adding that their elderly father and stepmother faced their own health issues. He also said his nephew required more specialized care than his sister could provide on her own.
Neighbors described Ms. Cotton as kind but occasionally troubled. One resident, who gave her name as Sabrina, said she had occasionally cooked for the family.
“She was a nice girl who loved her kids,” Sabrina said. “I’m going to miss her dearly.”