Mar. 26, 2013: A young boy was discovered in his New Jersey apartment with the body of his dead mother. (myfoxny.com)
Police say they found an emaciated 4-year-old boy in an apartment Tuesday with the body of his mother, who appears to have been dead for nearly a week.
MyFoxNY.com reports the boy was discovered after neighbors reported a foul odor. When the building manager went to check on the apartment, he found the child locked inside with the body.
Authorities tell news organizations the boy said he tried to get food from the refrigerator but couldn't open the door. He also said the boy had rubbed lotion on his mother in an apparent attempt to help her, leaving behind his hand prints.
The woman was found in a bedroom, and authorities believe she had been dead for about five days. She was not identified pending notification of relatives. Police do not suspect foul play.
The boy was taken to a hospital for treatment.
MyFoxNY.com reports a neighbor claims he hadn't seen the woman since January and didn't hear any commotion coming from the apartment over the past few days.
Click for more from MyFoxNY.com.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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