N.Y. Police Arrest Mom on Unprecedented Charge for Son's Crimes
What to know
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Utica police charged Nurto Mohamed, 36, with endangering the welfare of a child after her 11-year-old son committed multiple felonies, including armed robbery, burglary and arson, but was too young to be prosecuted.
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Police said Mohamed repeatedly ignored warnings and offers of support services, leading to the unprecedented charge to hold her accountable for failing to control her child.
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Authorities said the intent is not to jail Mohamed but to mandate services and intervention in order to correct her son's behavior before he becomes old enough to be prosecuted under New York law.
UTICA, NY — The mother of a Utica boy who is too young to be charged for his crimes is facing a charge never before used by the department in order to hold her 11-year-old son accountable, according to police.
The boy’s mother — Nurto Mohamed, 36 — has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, for “failure to exercise due diligence in control of a child.”
Police Thursday said the charge was their only option.
“If the kid cannot be held accountable, and mom is aware and unwilling to cease the behavior, then who else can be held accountable, but mom?” Lt. Michael Curly, a spokesperson for the Utica Police Department, said.
Mohamed was arrested Tuesday after police said her son had been involved in at least four felonies and other incidents since the start of 2025 — including an armed robbery, a burglary that resulted in two stolen vehicles, and a fire set inside a Walmart store, Curly said.
Curly said Mohamed’s lack of response was not because she was unable to intervene, but unwilling to.
Curly said police made repeated efforts to intervene before filing charges.
Each time the child committed a serious offense, officers spoke with Mohamed, informed her of what happened, and offered access to support services. But, according to Curly, Mohamed failed to take steps to prevent future incidents.
Under New York’s Raise the Age law, children under the age of 12 cannot be charged with a crime or even referred to Family Court.
Curly said Mohamed’s charges stemmed from an incident on Aug. 6, when her son and a 12-year-old accomplice were involved in a burglary that caused damage to several vehicles. During the incident, they stole two vehicles and drove around the city, damaging the vehicles and other property, Curly said.
The charge — endangering the welfare of a child — is a misdemeanor in New York. It allows prosecutors to charge a parent or guardian who fails to prevent a child from becoming an “abused child,” “neglected child,” “juvenile delinquent,” or a “person in need of supervision.”
“This is the first time we’ve charged this under these circumstances,” police said. “But with this level of public nuisance and violence, we couldn’t just wait until he turns 12 or 18. We had to act now.”
Curly said the intent is not to incarcerate the mother, but to ensure accountability and potentially court-mandated services for both the parent and child.
“We don’t think jail is the solution,” he said. “But we do hope this opens the door for mandatory services — parenting support, mental health care, community resources — something that changes the direction this is headed in. This is about correcting behavior.”
Mohamed pleaded not guilty at her arraignment and was released on her own recognizance.
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