The stepmother of an 8-year-old boy who died of a cold on Long Island in January 2020 pleaded guilty to murder on Friday, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.
Angela Pollina, 45, was found guilty on all counts — second-degree murder and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child — for her role in the death of Thomas Valva, who was sleeping in the garage at the family’s Long The day was dead. The island house in temperatures that dropped below 20 degrees.
Polina’s sentencing comes four months after the boys’ father and her ex-fiancé, Michael Valva, who had been working with the NYPD since 2005, was found guilty of second-degree murder and four counts of child endangerment. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
NBC New York reported that Thomas and his older brother, Anthony, spent 16 hours in the home’s garage without heat as punishment for urinating and defecating in the house.
A medical examiner ruled the boy’s death a homicide and found that hypothermia was a major contributing factor. Prosecutors said both Thomas and his 10-year-old brother were on the autism spectrum and were sometimes forced to sleep in the garage.
Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a statement after the verdict, “The brutality that Thomas and his brother suffered because of this defendant’s callous and selfish conduct is abhorrent, and thankfully the jury clearly agrees.” ” “His treatment of these children was nothing short of pure evil.”
The verdict followed a two-week trial in which prosecutors sought to portray Polina as an “evil stepmother” who abused the children and who did not try to help Thomas, as she claimed. was, pointing to the fact that he had died of hypothermia and had an internal temperature of 76 degrees when he arrived at the hospital, according to NBC New York.
Meanwhile, Polina’s lawyers insisted that she was not responsible for his death.
During the trial, Polina admitted, when asked, that she did not allow the boys to use any of the four bathrooms inside the house, according to NBC New York.
Polina was also asked if she felt she had a “duty to protect”. [the boys] from harm” when she was watching them, or if she treated them differently than other children. “I did the best I could,” she answered both questions in a similar manner, NBC New York reported.
According to the District Attorney’s Office, Polina is expected back in court for sentencing on April 11, and faces up to 25 years in prison.
Polina’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Marlene Lenthang Contribution,
