A Long Island woman accused of being an accomplice in the death of her ex-boyfriend’s eight-year-old autistic son was declared guilty on Friday, March 10 of second-degree murder and child endangerment.
Authorities charged Angela Pollina, 45, and Michael Valva, her ex-fiancée and a former New York Police Department officer, with the cruel death of Valva’s son, Thomas Valva, 8, who froze to death in the garage of their home in Center Moriches, Long Island.
Pollina now faces 25 years behind bars after a jury found her guilty. She will be sentenced on April 11.
Thomas froze to death after his father decided that the little boy and his brother, then two years older and also autistic, deserved a harsh punishment for soiling their clothes. Valva hosed Thomas down and forced the young boy and his brother to sleep on the bare concrete floor of the garage in the freezing cold of winter, prosecutors said.
Both defendants were charged with murder in the second degree and child endangerment in January 2020, after Thomas died the day after being forced to endure the cruel and despicable treatment, on January 17, 2020.
Pollina testified in her defense and admitted to callously abusing the boy and trying to cover up the abuse. Jurors began deliberating on Thursday and quickly came back with a decision on Friday.
Defense lawyer Matthew Tuohy said during closing remarks that being a “bitch” was not a crime in the country. The defense insisted that the dad, Valva, was solely responsible for his son’s death, claiming that Pollina did not think the boy was in immediate danger and that she provided the boys with blankets and a heater.
After his conviction, Valva admitted to having neglected and abused his sons. He apologized for his behavior and said he regretted what he had done.
However, the prosecution argued that his confession did not automatically mean that Pollina was not equally responsible for the child’s death.
According to Assistant District Attorney Kerriann Kelly, Pollina tortured the boys, screamed at them, and forced them out of the house to sleep in the frigid cold of the garage, actions which ended in the tragic fatality.
Pollina testified that on the morning of the murder she was busy preparing her own three children for school before she saw her boyfriend Valva hosing Thomas down and that she was shocked to witness that.
Despite her shock, she deleted surveillance footage of the incident.
District Attorney Raymond Tierney called Pollina’s conduct not only extremely selfish and insensitive but “purely evil.”
