Angela Pollina gets 25 years for murder in hypothermia death of 8-yr-old autistic boy Thomas Valva
SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK: Angela Pollina was found guilty of second-degree murder and child endangerment in the death of her ex-fiance Michael Valva's, 8-year-old son, Thomas Valva. This verdict was announced on Friday, March 10, and it concludes the long trial against Michael and Pollina. Now, Pollina faces 25 years of life in prison.
Thomas Valva, a boy suffering with autism, the son of former NYPD officer, Michael Valva, died of hypothermia on a 19-degree day at Long Island Community Hospital on January 17, 2020. The boy was forced to sleep on the garage floor because of bedwetting issues which led to his horrible death.
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'Oh my God': Jurors gasp at Angela Pollina's state of mind on day little Thomas Valva froze to death
At the time of his death, prosecutors said Thomas Valva's body temperature had fallen to nearly 76 degrees. He also had a head injury, a chronic kidney infection from holding in his urine, sunken hips, alopecia, and no body fat.
Pollina, 45, finally admitted that she forced Thomas and his older brother, Anthony, to sleep in the freezing garage of the twisted couple’s Center Moriches home the night before the child’s death.
"I put them in the garage. It was horrible. Yes, I did; I exiled them," she said.
She also confessed that she deleted incriminating footage from the family’s Nest camera in an effort to protect herself.
Pollina's relationship with the little boy
At the time of the little boy’s death, Pollina was engaged to and living with Thomas’ father, Michael Valva. Valva, 43, was also convicted of the murder of his own son and was sentenced to 25 years behind bars. Pollina wanted the boys to go live with their biological mother, Justyna Zubko-Valva, who lost custody after the divorce, so Pollina treated the boys badly and even assisted Valva in letting them sleep in the garage.
'Thomas was tortured'
Assistant District Attorney Kerriann Kelly, however, showed no patience with Pollina. She said,"[Pollina] forced him out into the cold! Thomas was tortured and died for the sin of being autistic. [Thomas] was not allowed in the house, not allowed to use a bathroom. That was all because of this defendant."
Prosecutors called Pollina's years of maltreatment of Thomas as 'evil, wicked, inhuman, and depraved.' Now, Pollina is sentenced to 25 years of life in prison, the same as Valva, for the murder of young Thomas.