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UNION, N.J. — A naked, malnourished 4-year-old U.S. boy found in an apartment with the body of his mother, dead for days, had resorted to eating from a bag of sugar and weighed only 26 pounds, well below normal, police said as adoption offers poured in from around the world.

The boy’s first request after being examined, police in New Jersey said, was a juice and a grilled cheese sandwich.

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His mother, identified Wednesday as 38-year-old Kiana Workman, was discovered dead Tuesday on the floor of her bedroom after building maintenance workers reported a foul odour. Because the chain lock was on, police said, the toddler couldn’t get out.

Officer Joseph Sauer said the boy was naked but coherent and not crying when Sauer kicked in the door.

“The only way to describe the little boy was it was like a scene from World War II, from a concentration camp, he was that skinny. I mean, you could see all his bones,” Sauer told The Associated Press.

The boy was not strong enough to open the refrigerator and was unable to open a can of soup. Police said he told them he had been eating from a bag of sugar.