Autistic son of NYPD cop ‘froze to death after he was left in the family’s garage overnight’

The autistic eight-year-old boy who was allegedly murdered by his NYPD officer father and his fiancée died of hypothermia after he was kept inside the couple’s unheated garage overnight in ‘freezing temperatures.’

Michael Valva, 40, and Angela Pollina, 42, were charged with second-degree murder on Friday in the death of eight-year-old Thomas Valva on January 17.

The couple ‘engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of death to this child,’ said Geraldine Hart, Suffolk County Police Commissioner.

‘The medical examiner has ruled it a homicide with a major contributing factor of hypothermia. We believe certainly that Thomas was kept in the garage overnight preceding his death,’ Hart said, according to NBC News. 

Pictured: Thomas Valva

Michael Valva and Angela Pollina (both left) have been charged with second-degree murder after eight-year-old Thomas Valva (right) after he died of hypothermia 

The incident started when Valva beat Thomas at their Bittersweet Lane home in the Center Moriches hamlet in Long Island, New York Daily News reports.

Then, Valva forced Thomas outside into the garage when the area was a frigid 19 degrees that night.

Thomas’ body temperature was just 76 degrees -21 degrees below a normal temperature- when doctors later attempted to revive him.

Justyna Zubko-Valva (left) said: 'I just keep praying for this case to be fully resolved and my little angel Thomas to rest peacefully in heaven…I just wished somebody helped him'

Justyna Zubko-Valva (left) said: ‘I just keep praying for this case to be fully resolved and my little angel Thomas to rest peacefully in heaven…I just wished somebody helped him’

Before calling 911, Valva is said to have placed the boy’s cold body in a warm bath to raise his core temperature.

Authorities dispatched to the couple’s Long Island home around 9.40am last week after reports that Thomas had fallen in the driveway and lost consciousness.

Responding officers found Valva performing CPR on Thomas in the basement before he was rushed to Long Island Community Hospital and pronounced dead.

Valva’s initial story – that Thomas was trying to catch the school bus and fell- quickly came apart as homicide detectives investigated the death.

In addition to hypothermia, Thomas also suffered head and face injuries that were not consistent with Valva’s story.

Pictured: Thomas Valva

Pictured: Thomas Valva

Thomas Valva (pictured) was a second-grader at East Moriches Elementary School and lived with his father

Hart said: ‘As with any unattended death, homicide detectives conducted an investigation which revealed inconsistencies in the timing and the nature of the child’s injures as reported by his father.’

‘We have determined Thomas was as never in the driveway that morning and he suffered head and facial injuries that were not consistent with the father’s account.’

In addition to Thomas, Valva’s six-year-old and 10-year-old brothers lived with the couple, as did Pollina’s 11-year-old twin daughters and her six-year-old son.

The couple reportedly had an extensive home security system and monitored the children closely.

Said footage helped investigators discovered that Valva’s other sons were punished with ‘food deprivation and exposure to extremely frigid temperatures.’

The remaining children have been placed in Child Protective Services.

‘We are still investigating the extent of the abuse and if it extended to all of the children,’ said Hart.

A 2018 East Moriches School District report obtained by New York Daily News showcases the depths of abuse Thomas and his siblings suffered.

Zubko-Valva (left), who lost custody of her children, saw Thomas (right) for the first time in two years at the medical examiner's office

Zubko-Valva (left), who lost custody of her children, saw Thomas (right) for the first time in two years at the medical examiner’s office 

‘Biggest concern is that Mr. Valva and his fiance Angela do not understand the depth of Anthony and Thomas’s disabilities,’ the report read, regarding Thomas’ brother.

‘Both Anthony and Thomas come into school hungry and frequently say they did not eat breakfast because they did not ask for breakfast or got in trouble.’

‘The boys were afraid to go to the nurses’s office for a while and they said it was because they were directed by Mr. Valva and Angela not to go to the nurse’s office.’

Anthony had allegedly dropped around 11 pounds over the course of nine months.

Police conducted a welfare check at the home in May 2019, but the family was not home at the time.

Valva’s ex-wife and Thomas’ biological mother, Justyna Zubko-Valva said her sons suffered abuse at the hands of Valva and that the older man had anger issues.

Zubko-Valva previously lost custody of her children and have not seen them in two years. It’s unclear why she initially lost custody.

‘I just really want justice for my son. He deserves it. This should never have happened,’ she said.

‘I just keep praying for this case to be fully resolved and my little angel Thomas to rest peacefully in heaven…I just wished somebody helped him’

Pictured: The couple's home at 11 Bittersweet Lane where Thomas Valva fell in the driveway and later died at a local hospital

Pictured: The couple’s home at 11 Bittersweet Lane where Thomas Valva fell in the driveway and later died at a local hospital 

In a Facebook post, Zubko-Valva shared a photo of the last time she saw her sons.

‘The last kiss from my youngest son before he was taken away from me … He always showed me so much love,’ she wrote.

‘My three loving children, whom two of them have special needs were taken away from me and deprived from any form of communication and contact with me. I was punished by the judge for loving my children unconditionally.’

Valva and Pollina will be arraigned Saturday morning. They both say they are innocent of any wrong doing.

‘Both of them maintain their innocence 100 percent. We’ll see how the facts bear out,’ Matthew Tuohy, their lawyer, said.

Valva released a statement regarding his son’s death through his attorney.

‘As with any tragedy, our office and Mr. Valva are shocked and saddened to learn of the horrible accident that took the life of young Thomas,’ it read.

‘We mourn his death with family and friends. Since Thomas’ parents are in the midst of a divorce, we are unable to make any further comments at this time.’  

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk