Save your tears: NYPD cop, who 'froze his autistic son, 8, to death by making him sleep on freezing garage floor', sobs in court as it plays his 911 call
An NYPD transit cop charged with murder of his eight-year-old broke down after a recording of the 911 call he made on the day of the boy's killing was played in court.
The chilling emergency call on January 17 last year was played at a pre-trial hearing in Suffolk County Supreme Court on Tuesday.
Michael Valva, 41, has been charged in the murder of his son, Thomas, who was allegedly starved, beaten and locked outside their Long Island home. He died of hypothermia after sleeping in an unheated garage on a freezing night on January 17.
Valva and his fiancée, 42-year-old Angela Pollina, have been charged with second-degree murder in Thomas' death.
Michael Valva breaks down and cries during his hearing in Criminal Court in Riverhead, New York on May 11
Michael Valva, 41, has been charged in the murder of his son, Thomas, who was allegedly starved, beaten and locked outside their Long Island home. Thomas Valva is pictured above
Valva's fiancée, 42-year-old Angela Pollina, has been charged with second-degree murder in Thomas' death. There has been no trial date set
Valva was given custody of Thomas and his brother in September 2017 despite desperate pleas from Thomas' biological mother, Justyna Zubko-Valva, and concerns from school officials that they were being abused.
During the 911 call, Valva can be heard telling an operator that his son had 'stopped breathing,' before saying: 'He fell down and banged his head.'
'I don't know if he's breathing or not … His heart stopped. He banged his head pretty good.'
The chilling emergency call on January 17 last year was played at a pre-trial hearing in Suffolk County Supreme on Tuesday
Authorities were dispatched to the home where Thomas had been living at about 9.40am on January 17, 2020 after his father said the boy had fallen in the driveway and lost consciousness while running for the school bus
Michael Valva listens to the judge during his hearing in Criminal Court in Riverhead, New York. May 11
'His belly is filling up, like it's filling up with air.'
The operator responds: 'Are you sure he's not breathing?' to which he replies: 'I don't know, to be honest.'
As emergency responders arrived at the scene, Valva can be heard saying: 'He banged his head.
'He was OK. I got him dressed.'
According to Valva's lawyer John LoTurco, it was the first time Valva had heard the 911 call. 'That was an emotional moment for him and I imagine for Angela as well,' the lawyer said.
Thomas was one of six children in Mike and Angela's care who were living at the home at the time the little boy died. Thomas' brothers have since been placed in the custody of their mother while Pollina's daughters were placed in the custody of their biological fathers
Valva is still facing 25 years to life in prison for the death of his son if he is found guilty.
Authorities were dispatched to the home where Thomas had been living at about 9.40am on January 17, 2020 after his father said the boy had fallen in the driveway and lost consciousness while running for the school bus.
Responding officers found Valva performing CPR on Thomas in the basement.
The little boy was rushed to Long Island Community Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Prosecutors allege he had been forced to sleep in the garage, despite it being 19F outside, with no blankets.
Thomas' cause of death was determined to be hypothermia.
Angela Pollina is presented for indictment by the Grand Jury, for second-degree murder of Thomas Valva, 8, at Suffolk County Court, in Riverhead, New York. February 6, 2020
According to police, cameras and microphones that had been set up in Mike Valva's home captured audio of him and Angela taunting Thomas as he froze to death.
The audio files allegedly recorded the couple discussing the fact that Thomas was suffering from hypothermia, had been washed with cold water, couldn't walk and was 'face-planting' on the concrete.
They laughed as they said 'he's hypothermic' and that he had 'face-planted' the floor.
Pollina remarked: 'You know why he's falling?'.
Valva replied: 'Because he's cold.... boo f*****g hoo'.
Thomas' death has since prompted an investigation into the social services department and how it dealt with abuse allegations against the couple and the children who lived with them.
A separate task force will examine how the department handles cases of children with developmental disabilities.
Following his death, Thomas' brothers were placed in the custody of their mother.
Pollina's daughters were placed in the custody of their biological fathers.
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