Harlem resident Johnny Evans said he felt compelled to come to the St. Nicholas Houses to honor the memory of Ayden Wolfe.

"This is the candle that I got to light for Ayden. It says, 'Rest In Peace Ayden, Protect Your Kids,'" Evans said.

But he said he also felt compelled to come because he has a 9-year-old son and worries about his safety.

He told NY1 that he’s asked the city’s Administration for Children’s Services for help several times over the past six years. He said that the coronavirus pandemic has made asking for that help more complicated.

"The courts say we’re not hearing these types of cases right now," Evans said. "I feel helpless."

While police have said that they had no prior 911 calls to Wolfe’s fourth-floor apartment in the St. Nicholas Houses that would indicate prior child abuse, NYPD Acting Chief of Department Rodney Harrison said Wolfe’s mother had been investigated by ACS after Ayden’s birth for child neglect.

During a press conference on Monday, he also said that Ayden died from fatal child abuse syndrome, a condition characterized by repeated episodes of physical assault or neglect.

"The victim was found with extensive bruising to his face, extremities and all over the body," Harrison said. "Some injuries were old, while others were recent."

Police have arrested and charged Ryan Cato with Wolfe’s murder.

The 34-year-old, who has been described as Ayden’s stepfather but may legally only be his mother’s boyfriend, has an extensive criminal history that includes arrests for gun possession, robbery and assault.

It turns out the assault case, which was his most recent arrest, led to its own ACS investigation.

"His last arrest was in December in Brooklyn, where he assaulted the mother of his children in their presence," Harrison said.

People who live at the St. Nicholas Houses and in the neighborhood say everyone needs to be more vigilant.

"Did they have visitors? Family come around? No one sees this child," said Janie Halls, a resident at the St. Nicholas Houses.

"We have to be more attentive and talk to each other," said Judynell Johnson-Groce, who is also a St. Nicholas Houses resident.

A police source told NY1 that investigations by the NYPD’s child abuse squads in all five boroughs have plummeted amid the pandemic. Those numbers are consistent with statistics from the Administration for Children’s services, which found a 21% decrease in reports between 2019 and 2020.

Some have connected the drop with remote learning, and the absence of in-person contact with teachers or adults who can recognize abuse.

Officials with the city’s Department of Education told NY1 that they had no record of a student by the name of Ayden Wolfe enrolled in New York City schools.

There is a family-run GoFundMe page seeking contributions for funeral expenses.