Child cruelty complaints about about NYPD cop Michael Valva were IGNORED year before son, 8, froze t

COMPLAINTS that an NYPD cop made his child sleep in a garage a year before his other son froze to death after being locked in there overnight were ignored, it was reported.

New York state’s Office of Children and Family Services recorded a complaint about the boy being forced to sleep in the garage at  Mike Valva’s house in 2019.

Valva and his fiancee Angela Pollina have been charged with the murder of 8-year-old Thomas, who cops say died of hypothermia after he was locked in a freezing garage on January 17.

Cops suspect he and his 10-year-old brother Anthony may have also been starved and abused by their dad.

Records show that the previous complaint about Anthony were not acted on, the New York Post reports.

The Office of Children and Family Services (OFCS) records state that Anthony “has been coming to school with his clothes and backpack soaked in urine”.

It goes onto say “Anthony has been staying in the garage and is not allowed in his room due to him urinating in his bed”.

Though the Valva and Pollina were aware Thomas was arriving at school in soiled clothes they “failed to address the concern”.

The information was given to Anthony and Thomas’ mother, Justyna Zubko-Valva, but a senior official said in a letter to her the he allegations were “unfounded”.

The OCFS said due to “confidentiality requirements” it was unable to comment on specifics of an investigation.

Cops were called to NYPD officer Michael Valva's home on Long Island, New York around 9.40 am on January 17 to a report of a child who fell in the driveway.

"We believe that the 10- and eight-year-old boys were subjected to punishment including food deprivation and exposure to extremely frigid temperature,"  said Suffolk County Deputy Commissioner Geraldine Hart.

"We are still investigating the extent of the abuse and if it extended to all the children."

Thomas' body temperature was said to be 76 degrees when he was found.

The veteran officer Valva, 40, had three boys, aged six, eight, and 10 - from a previous relationship.

His fiancee Angela Pollina, 42, had three daughters of her own, 11-year-old twins and a six-year-old.

All eight family members lived at the Center Moriches home where they family portrayed a happy image, reports the New York Post.

Former nanny Amanda Wildman, who babysat the six kids from 2017 to 2018, claimed "the boys were constantly being yelled at."

"The girls were always treated better than the boys," Wildman claimed. “If [the boys] weren’t eating their food, [Pollina] didn’t care if they had to pee, they had to sit there. It was very disturbing."

Hard told attendees at Friday's press briefing Valva and Pollina were charged with murder in the second degree.

"They engaged in conduct that created a grave risk of death to this child," Hart said.

"We believe that he was kept in the garage overnight preceding his death," Hart said, per the local Patch.

During the press update, she said cops are investigating possible "exposure to extremely frigid temperatures" as well as malnourishment, which is also "part of the investigation."

Valva is known to have been an NYPD officer for the past 15 years. He allegedly had to hand in his gun and badge while the investigation is ongoing.

Around the time he died, Valva released a GoFundMe page that has raised $14,000 toward the costs of Thomas' funeral.

He wrote on the fundraising page: "It is with great sadness that I must bury my 8-year-old son. He passed recently due to a tragic accident."

"At this time I am not able to handle these unforeseen costs on my own and if there is any help anyone can provide we would greatly appreciate it."

In tragic Facebook posts, Zubko-Valva, who is currently divorcing Valva, posted pictures of her and her son from September 2017, when she says “he was taken away from me.”

“He always showed me so much love,” she wrote of the second-grade boy, who she said had a mild form of autism.

Zubko-Valva, a corrections officer on Rikers Island, told  NBC New York  Michael allegedly tortured her kids, beat them and locked them in the garage.

She said a Nassau County Supreme Court judge took custody of Thomas and his siblings away in September 2017, which was the last time she saw them.

The mother-of-three said she had been worried for her children, who were in their father’s custody since then.

She wrote online: "My 3 loving children, whom 2 of them have special needs were taken away from me and deprived from any form of communication and contact with me.”

“The Judge punished my children for their love towards their mommy, and I was punished by the Judge for loving my children unconditionally.

The mom told Newsday Thomas had a mild form of autism and "was just a joy of everybody’s life.”

Thomas “had such an amazing good heart. Everybody who knew him, they instantly fell in love with him.”

She added to CBS New York Thomas' death “is not going to go in vain.”

“Thomas was this little eight-year-old boy, my baby, who always was joyful, always stands for the truth, play his cars, read books, loved songs.”

Zubko-Valva, said the children would allegedly go to school soiled and wearing diapers, even though all had been potty trained by age 2.

They looked for food in the school garbage and on the floor, Justyna Valva said as she choked back tears, claiming "no one did anything" to help.

Zubko-Valva, said she fought in the court system for years and now her 8-year-old boy has lost his life.

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Zubko-Valva says she fought for five years to get help for her children, who are now reportedly in her custody following Valva’s arrest.

She told WCBS 880 she saw his body in the medical examiner’s office and prays that “one day we're just going to meet again in heaven.”

“I know he's in heaven. I know he's my angel and I'm going to miss him so much."


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