What are the charges against Michael Valva? Former NYPD officer sentenced 25 years to life in prison over son’s death

Former NYPD officer Michael Valva (45) was found guilty for the death of his 8-year-old son Thomas Valva in January 2020. He was sentenced to a maximum sentence of 25 years to life on December 8, 2022, Thursday.

Valva has been found guilty of second-degree murder and also endangering the welfare of a child. Police ruled the boy’s death as a homicide, and the actual cause of death was considered to be hypothermia. Michael Valva forced his 8-year-old son Thomas Valva to sleep in the garage of their house on Long Island, which was without heat.

It wasn't just Thomas, Valva also forced his eldest son Anthony to sleep in the unheated garage on that dreadful night. It has also been discovered that Michael Valva delayed calling emergency services for about an hour.

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Michael Valva was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after forcing his son to sleep in the unheated garage

In January 2020, Thomas Valva, the 8-year-old son of former NYPD officer Michael Valva, died after he was forced to sleep in the unheated garage of their house in Long Island. Thomas’s older brother Anthony was also there in the garage.

According to the prosecutors, the temperature that night fell to 19 degrees. They also mentioned that the children were not given blankets or mattresses and had no access to the bathroom.

Thomas reportedly woke up and soiled his pants. Home surveillance footage showed Michael Valva yelling at the 8-year-old and threatening to hose him down with water in the subfreezing temperatures outside. Thomas was also seen falling on the concrete floor a few times after losing consciousness.

According to authorities, Michael Valva delayed calling 911 for almost an hour. By the time Thomas received medical aid, his body temperature had dropped to 76.1 degrees, and he died of hypothermia. Prosecutors also mentioned during the trial that both the brothers had autism.

The former NYPD cop initially claimed that Thomas fell in the driveway and was unconscious. Authorities later unearthed the truth when they found the surveillance footage. According to Suffolk County DA Ray Tierney,

“[It is] one of the most difficult and heart-breaking cases I have experienced in my nearly 30 years as a prosecutor.”

He further added,

“Thanks to the great work of my prosecutors and the SCPD, there is a small measure of justice in Michael Valva receiving the maximum sentence. However, no prison sentence is adequate for the cruel treatment this defendant inflicted on his own children.”

Tierney condemned Michael’s behavior towards his children and said,

“The torture that killed Thomas and endangered Anthony’s welfare was nothing short of evil. Thankfully, the story of this defendant ends here, but the pursuit of justice for Thomas and Anthony continues.”

Anthony Lapinta, Valva’s defense attorney claimed that the main culprit was his former fiancée Angela Pollina (45). It was allegedly her idea to keep the boys in the garage. However, Pollina pleaded not guilty. Her trial is expected to begin in February 2023.

The investigators also found that both Thomas and Anthony were subjected to torture and abuse at home, ranging from “food deprivation to exposure to extremely frigid temperatures.”

Frances Pierre, Commissioner of the Suffolk County Department of Social Services, said that there had been a history of child neglect in the household back in 2018. This resulted in one year of child supervision as well.

School authorities mentioned that the children would often appear in classes covered in urine and also have bruises and scratches on them. The school’s principal also mentioned that they had called Child Protection Services as well to inform them of the situation. Michael Valva responded to that by saying that they were being harassed by the school authorities.

The judge believes that Valva did not have the intention to kill his son

Prosecutors mentioned that after a nasty divorce with ex-wife Justyna Zubko-Valva and a custody battle, Michael began ill-treating his sons. Zubko wrote in a Facebook post that,

“Valva and Pollina absolutely hated my children, and took a sick pleasure in inhumanly, brutally, and sadistically tortur[ing] them, abus[ing] them, and starv[ing] them on daily basis,”

She continued,

“Michael Valva untruthfully stated at his sentencing Court appearance that he never in his worst nightmares would’ve imagined being responsible for Thomas’ death. What he really tried to imply here is that he never in his worst nightmares would’ve to expect[ed] to get sentenced for his horrific crimes...”

During the trial, Michael Valva was seen sobbing and apologizing for his actions. He said,

“My actions were neglectful and abusive to my boys resulting in the tragic death of Thomas. Your honor, I accept your sentence as I already sentenced myself to a lifetime filled [with] extreme regret, remorse, and grief.”

Judge Condon said that he believes that Valva did not have the intention to kill his own son. However, he must be held accountable for the extremely harsh punishments that his children were subjected to. Judge Condon further added,

“An eight-year-old boy who right now should be getting excited for Christmas is dead, I speak for everybody out there, we can never let this happen again.”

The trial went on for five weeks, and deliberations lasted for several hours. The former cop was eventually held guilty of the death of 8-year-old Thomas Valva.