Bronx mother seeks records after teen's suicide in NYPD custody

Thomasina Cheatham has filed a petition in Manhattan Supreme Court seeking records related to the death of her 18-year-old daughter, Saniyah Cheatham, who died by suicide while in NYPD custody.

Saniyah Cheatham was held overnight at the NYPD’s 41st Precinct in the Bronx following an arrest at a party in Crotona Park on July 4, 2025. According to court filings, the teenager was experiencing a mental health crisis and allegedly warned officers that she was suicidal and would harm herself if left alone. Despite these warnings, she was placed in a holding cell by herself at the Longwood Avenue stationhouse, where she was found dead around 1 a.m. on July 5, 2025.

The petition alleges that city officials failed to provide appropriate mental health intervention and that the FDNY has repeatedly denied Freedom of Information Law requests for the EMS response files. Cheatham is seeking these documents to uncover the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death.