REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (WCMH) — A family is mourning the death of a four-year-old boy in Reynoldsburg.

Police have arrested and charged the boy’s mother and her boyfriend in connection with Ja’kai Smith’s death. Family and people in the neighborhood where this happened say they are in shock.

Franklin County Children’s Services said they had an active case involving the boy and his family at the time of his death. “We want answers. We deserve answers. Ja’kai deserves answers,” said Nikia Carter.

Carter said she is devastated to hear what happened to her great-nephew. “Ja’kai was a bright, funny, always smiling little fella,” Carter said. Police say on April 10 they were called to Nationwide Children’s Hospital… that’s where they found Smith dead.

His mother, 19-year-old Kailee Parks-Smith, is charged with child endangering and her apparent boyfriend, 19-year-old Linwood Allison Jr., is charged with aggravated murder. They turned themselves into police on Thursday and they both faced a judge on Friday.

Allison Jr. is accused of causing the fatal injuries, and his mother did nothing to stop it. Police said they have video evidence.

In court Friday, they said the boy was malnourished, had bruises on his body, and lacerations around his chin and neck. “Just in disbelief that it you know, that it happened,” Carter said.

Franklin County Children’s Services said they briefly had a case open in 2023 involving the boy that closed. Last month they opened a new case for neglect, which they said caseworkers were still investigating at the time of his death.

Carter said someone in their family made the call. “We didn’t know to the extent that it was, but we knew to call Children’s Services and they didn’t take it serious enough to go out there and check on him. March the 17, was the call was made to Children’s Services. We want to know what was done from the 17th to the week of April 8th, because a follow up call was also made and nothing was done because two days later, Ja’kai was no longer with us,” Carter said.

Funeral planning for Smith has started and Carter said she won’t stop until she gets answers. “He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t defend himself. He couldn’t even call anybody. It’s a broken system and it needs to be changed,” Carter said. “It’s not easy. A lot of emotions, but we are sticking together and we are remembering the good times that we did have with Ja’kai in such a short time.”

The judge gave Allison Jr. a $1.5 million bond and Parks-Smith a $500,000 bond.